Empire of Shadows
by Tsunami Storm
Summary: Sixth in the Dragon-Prince series. For full summary, inquire within. T for disturbing concepts. Pairings, Mizushipping, possibly Vaseshipping. I got sick of waiting, so the most recent chapter is missing the duel. Anyone wanna write it?
1. Emergency!

Hello again, everybody! I'm back with yet _another_ story! It follows 'my' universe started with 'Another Chance', so it's another AE fic.

My Author's comments will be in [brackets]

_Thoughts_ will be _italicized_

Flashbacks will be flanked by –Flashback– inserts

Something new: 'Spirit voices' will be _"quo__ted"_ and _italicized_. You'll see what I mean after this chapter!

Again, Read, Enjoy, and Review!

_**Disclaimer:**_ Do I look like Kazuki Takahashi? I didn't think so! It should be pretty obvious that I don't own YuGiOh!–

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><p>Months after events of 'Christmas of Memories'–<p>

"Hurry up, Mokuba! We gotta go!" Seto stage-whispered in a panic. "Pack only the essentials. We have to get outta here now!"

"Mmnh?" Mokuba groaned, waking up from a good dream. "Seto? What are you doing? It's the middle of the night!" The raven-haired teen rubbed his eyes and yawned hugely, watching his brother in confusion as the latter raced about the room, gathering and throwing random items into a huge suitcase. Somehow all the items were landing neatly in the baggage tool, but then Mokuba remembered that Seto had magic of his own now.

"No time to explain, kiddo. Just get up and pack the first essentials you find." Seto hissed in a kind but strained tone. Mokuba realized with a jolt that his brother was afraid. _Why is Seto scared? He's never been afraid of anything!_ As he thought to himself, the boy grabbed all of his jeans from the closet and yanked them off their hangers. If Seto was in _this_ much of a panic, they had to hurry, and from the sound of things, they were going to be on the run. As such, they would need durable clothes. Next he packed all of his t-shirts and underwear, not knowing how long they'd be gone. As he stuffed all of this into his smaller suitcase, he was shocked that it all seemed to fit neatly. Then he realized. _Seto must be helping me fit it all in. For someone who's never believed in magic before, he's really good at it!_ Next he crammed in his long-sleeved shirts, not knowing what the weather would be like. He raced to the bathroom, then snatched his toothbrush, toothpaste, brush and bathroom kit from the drawer and shoved it in the front pocket of the bag.

Doubting that his brother would think this last item to be 'essential', Mokuba secretly stuffed their dueling decks into his shirt pockets. Who knew if they might need them? When he was ready he nodded to Seto, then the two brothers raced out of the house. Looking at his brother, Mokuba wondered why Seto had put on his armor, but then he shook his head. _He's just taking extra precautions to protect us both._ As they raced around the corner of the block, Seto sensed that they had walked right into a trap.

"Leaving so soon, boys?" a familiar voice drawled. Seto wordlessly took his brother's hand and transformed his cape into wings to escape, but before he could, both he and Mokuba were grabbed from behind. Two rather large thugs had snuck up behind them–surprising, considering Seto's enhanced senses. Their supposed-leader stayed in the shadows of the dark alley, so that not even Seto could see his captor's face. The only thing that he could tell about the assailants was that they were all robed in black and had gruesome masks on their faces. Seto struggled against his captor's hold, but even with his strength–the strength of a dragon–his attempts were futile. Beside him, Mokuba was struggling as well. Seto was rather impressed with his skill. Had they been restrained by normal humans, Mokuba's captor would be out cold by now. However this was clearly not the case. _It's no use, kid,_ Seto thought at his brother gently. _If _I_ can't get free by myself, _you_ certainly can't. Save your strength._

Mokuba nodded silently, glaring at his unseen captor and wary of what he might do next. "I suppose you're wondering how my subordinates got so strong. Strong enough to restrain a 'Blue-Eyes'." Seto snarled at the man's clearly-mocking tone. "Ooh, scary." the man laughed, not frightened in the least. "I wonder– can the 'dragon knight' still be hurt by weapons made by mere mortals?" the leader asked, pulling a gun out of his robes. Mokuba gasped in horror, but Seto didn't even blink. No need to give this idiot any ideas about the _one_ thing that _could_ hurt him now. Mokuba. The kid had always been his weakness, but also his greatest strength. That would never change, no matter how powerful he himself became.

His captor seemed not to notice Mokuba's gasp, so focused was he on the elder Kaiba. "What's this? Not even a twitch? You're just the same overconfident egomaniac that you were when I first met you, in that duel that changed my life." The man spat through his mask onto the ground at Kaiba's feet, and Seto had to try hard to resist an eye-roll. _If only he knew– how wrong he is, how much I've changed._

The mysterious masked man walked right up to the CEO and put the nozzle of the gun right to Seto's left temple. Although he knew that the bullet wouldn't kill him, Seto was still cautious about what _would_ happen should the man pull the trigger. _It won't even break the skin._ Seto thought resolutely. _But it'll probably still hurt. Will it knock me out? Or will I just get a concussion and a really bad headache?_

The man must have come to a decision of his own, because the hammer suddenly clicked back and Seto heard the trigger hit the handle of the gun. A millisecond later, he heard the shot and felt the bullet hit his temple. Another half-second passed and the dragon warrior collapsed to the ground. Just before losing consciousness, he heard Mokuba scream, "Seto! No!" _Those monsters better not hurt him, or I'll make them wish they were never born!_

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><p>Mokuba struggled all the harder in his captor's hold when Seto collapsed. "You monsters! What have you done to him?" he cried, shouting at the mysterious masked leader. Wordlessly, the man walked up to the captive teen and struck him across the face with the back of his hand, snarling, "Shut up, you stupid brat! Your 'precious' brother is fine. Unfortunately. That shot just knocked him out. You, on the other hand–" the man chuckled evilly. "let's just say I have a special fate in mind for you. With Kaiba out of the picture, there will be no one left who can stop me!"<p>

Mokuba stopped his struggling when he heard this, knowing that it was pointless anyway. _What's this maniac planning? It better not be another 'take over the world' scheme. We've had enough of those to last five lifetimes._ Then he started. "What do you mean, 'with Seto out of the picture'? What are you gonna do to him?" the boy cried, fearing for his brother's life.

The villain laughed maliciously, and Mokuba could see excitement gleaming in his eyes behind the mask. "That's for me to know and for you to guess at," he chuckled, continuing, "and before you ask, no, this isn't a 'take over the world' scheme." _Not _this_ world, anyway–_ he thought to himself. "This is mostly about revenge, but it doesn't concern you. All I need from _you_ is information." He poked Mokuba's nose when he said 'you', almost in an endearing fashion. "Where is Malik Ishtar's Millennium Rod?"

Mokuba gasped silently to himself. _Why would he need– How did he know about the Rod?_ Another silent gasp. _Could this man be one of Malik's 'mind-slaves' from Battle City? That rules out Strings, he was a mime. So is it that one guy, 'Seeker'? Or Bandit Keith? Probably the latter–_ Out loud he said, "Why do you need it?" an expressionless mask on his face, just like Seto had taught him.

"None of your business, brat!" Keith hissed, striking Mokuba across the face again. "Just answer the question!" The card shark started pacing back and forth in the narrow alleyway, seeming agitated and distracted for some reason. "Look kid, I don't have a lot of time. The police are bound to come here after that gunshot. Now tell me where that stupid ancient stick is, or I'll send you to a place not even the great Seto Kaiba can save you from!" He pulled out the handgun again and pointed it at Mokuba, who flinched a little at the sight of the weapon. Even though he knew his life was in danger, Mokuba decided to play dumb. "You mean that gold axe-thing with the eye? I think it fell into a bottomless pit with the other Items. Sorry."

Keith laughed. "Nice try kid." He opened his robe, and the Millennium Ring gleamed in front of his chest. _Ryou!_ Mokuba thought in horror. _No!_ "I've got the other five Items too. All I need– is your brother's Rod." Keith whispered menacingly. "What have you done to my friends, you fiend?" cried Mokuba, fearing the worst. "Those idiots? Well that information's classified, so no comment. But don't worry. If you don't cooperate, you'll see them very soon." Keith chuckled. "Oh! I 'took care' of the other 'Guardians' too, so no hoping for a miraculous last minute rescue, twerp." he added with a grin.

"No–" whispered the boy, not wanting to believe what he was hearing. "No! You–you monster! They never did anything to you!" he cried, tears breaking through his emotionless mask.

"Wrong! Remember Wheeler? He humiliated me not once, but _twice_ in Duelist Kingdom! And Yugi– he nearly burned me alive in a warehouse just before Battle City! I'll never forgive him for that!"

_I seem to remember it being the other way around–_ Mokuba disagreed, but he kept that observation to himself. He didn't want to push the duelist's sanity any farther over the edge than it already was. _There's no hope–_ Mokuba realized sadly. _No way out. Seto's unconscious, and the others– all my friends, my family– gone. Maybe dead._ With a sigh of defeat, Mokuba admitted, "It's at the mansion. We left it behind."

"Heh. There's a good boy. Now was that so hard?" Keith snickered, patting Mokuba's head patronizingly. "You know, that was a pretty stupid move, leaving it there. _Anyone_ could get it then," he mused, enjoying the teen's obvious hatred for him. Then without warning, he hit his captive hard over the head with the handle of the gun. He smirked as he fastened a single manacle-like device to the motionless teen's ankle, locked it in place with a small key, and pressed a light green stone on the outer edge. Immediately the stone began to glow and a strange seal appeared on the boy's forehead, his blank gray-blue eyes dilating until almost none of the iris could be seen. "Throw him through to my new kingdom with his brother." he instructed his two henchmen, walking deeper into the alley. "There's a new 'Thief King' in town," he laughed as he and his cohorts disappeared into the night, "and his name is 'Bandit' Keith Howard!"

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><p><em>Unnh. My head hurts–<em> Seto groaned mentally when he regained consciousness. _Understandable, considering what happened. Wait a minute! Where's Mokuba?_ The young man looked around frantically, but could not find his little brother anywhere. What he _did_ find was that he was imprisoned in some type of dungeon and that he was sitting on a cold metal slab chained to the wall that was obviously meant to be his bed. His left ankle was chained to the wall under his bed, and his armor had been removed and confiscated by his captors. At least that's what he'd assumed.

_Oh great. I'm back at Duelist Kingdom, locked in the dungeons again–_ he guessed, surveying what he could of his surroundings. Which wasn't much, considering what little light there was. Suddenly he heard footsteps and looked up to see a vaguely-familiar face peering at him from between the bars. "So you've decided to join us. How are you feeling?" the man asked his captive. Seto had to admit that the man was rather handsome, in a Hollywood kind of way, but he couldn't remember where he'd seen him before. Maybe in a movie? Seto shook his head to clear his thoughts. It wasn't important right now. Unbidden, a memory from his childhood came to mind, a memory of one of the painful lessons Gozaburo had literally pounded into him.

–Flashback–

"If you're ever taken captive by an adversary, not likely–" his stepfather snarled at him after a particularly brutal punishment for trying to see Mokuba. "Don't give them an inch, no matter what. You are a _Kaiba_ now, boy, and we bow to no one."

–End Flashback–

Seto glared at the man, whose false-concern quickly melted into anger. "Customarily a lowly prisoner shows respect to his masters. It seems I'm going to have to teach you some manners!" the man spat, his voice gradually rising to a shout at the end. He gripped something around his neck with his left hand, and upon studying it closer, Seto realized with a jolt that he was holding the Millennium Key. _Wheeler!_ Seto thought in horror. The man didn't give him time to think more about this, snapping his fingers on his right hand. Suddenly Seto felt an unbearable pain in his heart and unbelievable pressure on his shoulders. The pain and weight forced him down on one knee, and he unwillingly bowed his head as if showing respect to this man.

"There. Was that so hard?" the man teased in a patronizing tone. When Seto didn't answer, the pain returned, and the jailer snarled, "Prisoners and slaves will address their captain of the guard immediately when asked a question. Now repeat after me, 'As you wish, Captain Magnum'," he smiled, obviously enjoying the torment and humiliation of the young CEO.

Though Seto resisted with every fiber of his being, a strange abnormal force made him say the words given to him. "As you wish, Captain Magnum," Seto growled through his teeth. _So _that's_ where I saw him before. Jean-Claude Magnum, the hack star of all those bad ninja movies–_ Seto realized with a grimace. As soon as the words left his mouth, the pain vanished as quickly as it had come. The captain of the guard laughed heartily, clapping his hands in mock-praise, as if Seto were a two-year-old who'd just learned to walk. "Very good, Seto! See what happens when you obey the rules? Ha! This is more fun than I ever would have imagined! I'm glad the boss decided to give me this position! Thank. You. Thief. King!" he crowed, putting emphasis on every word. Still chuckling gleefully, the actor called back as he walked off, "I'll send someone down with your rations later, if you're a good boy!" then the dungeon door slammed shut, and Seto was plunged into total darkness.

When Seto was sure that the footsteps were long gone, he tried to free his leg from its chain and fetter. _"Don't bother,"_ a ghostly voice echoed from somewhere next to him. Seto looked around wildly, but fruitlessly. The room was black as pitch. Yet he definitely recognized _that_ voice! "_Yugi_?" Seto breathed incredulously._"Yup. I'm here too,"_ the voice muttered again._"imprisoned just like you. Well, maybe not _exactly_ like you–"_ he allowed, and a furry ball landed in Kaiba's surprised lap. "Kweee!" it cried, and Seto jumped in alarm. After he recovered from the shock, Seto snorted. "Kuriboh? You were turned into a _Kuriboh_?" he asked incredulously, roaring with laughter. The Kuriboh scowled, and Yugi's rather-annoyed and indignant voice mumbled, _"Glad I amuse you."_ then his tone brightened. _"Actually, I'm surprised you can hear me. Not many can."_

"What do you mean?" Seto asked, confused.

_"Only the 'Time Wizard' and 'Flame Swordsman' have been able to hear me so far. No one else can. I don't know why. Maybe it's some magic that we possess?"_ Seto felt Kuriboh shrug. _"Or maybe it's something else entirely. I'm not sure,"_ Yugi's ghostly voice faded, and Seto guessed that his friend was deep in thought. After a few minutes, Yugi advised, _"Oh, whatever you do, don't go into the castle courtyard if you can help it. It's too painful, even for someone as strong as you."_

"Why not?" Seto asked, now even more confused. "And another thing. Why does your voice sound so– distant? It's like I'm talking to a ghost."

At this, Kuriboh shifted uncomfortably and averted its large, purple eyes. Yugi sighed sadly. _"Everyone's soul has been forced into the body of their spirit monster, or Ka, as the Guardians call it. So technically, I _am_ a ghost. If you're wondering why, I'm only down here 'cause I 'refused' to show respect. I really _did_ do it, but they couldn't understand me!_" At this, Kuriboh let out an annoyed "Kyu!" and Seto couldn't help but smile. _"As for your first question– Just trust me. Don't go out there,"_ Kuriboh made a sad sound, almost as if the creature was in mourning.

"Oh." Seto answered, feeling slightly awkward. How _should_ he respond to that? He sat quietly on the edge of his 'bed' for a few moments, when suddenly Kuriboh hopped off his lap and down to the floor. _"I just got an idea! Brace yourself, this might hurt a little–"_ Yugi warned, and Seto tensed. When Kuriboh started to glow next to his left ankle, though, Seto shouted, "Wait! What are you–"

_KABOOM!_ The Duel Monster self-destructed, breaking the manacle around Kaiba's leg and leaving a shiny burn above and below the previously-covered area. Seto winced, but he was more concerned with what his friend had just done. "Yugi! YUGI!"

_"What?"_ the duelist asked, a huge grin evident in his voice. _"I always have a back-up plan ready."_ "Kweee!" Kuriboh added happily, bouncing onto Seto's lap again. Seto smiled and sighed. "_Never_ scare me like that again!" he mock-chided, ruffling the Duel Monster's fur affectionately. Kuriboh purred gently at the gesture, enjoying the attention.

_"What I don't get,"_ Yugi continued as Seto absentmindedly petted the fuzzball, _"is why _you_ didn't change when you came here. Everyone else became a Duel Monster, so why didn't _you_?"_ he asked in a confused and bewildered tone.

"Maybe it's because I'm part Duel Monster already. My body and spirit are permanently fused with Blue-Eyes," Seto explained. "For everybody else, this must be temporary. But I've got a lifelong bond to my most trusted and favorite dragon. It's not a curse, it's a blessing." he added, sensing and countering what Yugi was about to say. "I can protect the ones I love. Family and friends."

_"Hm. That could be. Oh well. We'll figure out more of this mystery tomorrow. For now, you should sleep,"_ Yugi suggested, and Kuriboh hopped off his lap and bounced away into the darkness. Seto nodded, and as he laid down on his side to sleep, his final thought was of his kid brother. _Mokuba. Please be all right._

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><p><span>End of chapter 1<span>

Next chapter teaser: Unexpected

So– what do you think? Too weird? To quote a favorite author of mine, "I'm definitely writing without a net on this one!" (Kitt Chaos, 'Respect')

I bet you can guess who the 'Flame Swordsman' is. But how about 'Time Wizard'? And which monster will Mokuba be? Yugi DID say that _everyone_ changed– Ooh, mystery!

Magnum has the Key because he defeated Joey and sent him to this realm. Something about wanting revenge for 'stealing' Mai. That reminds me, what monster will _she_ be? And everyone else for that matter!

I'll give you a hint: Everyone that has been 'fused' are characters in my previous stories. Yes, ALL of them. (Except for the ones who are dead. Not Kemo either. He's still in prison.)

Tsunami Storm


	2. Unexpected

Heeerrree's chapter 2! Prophecies will be written in _italicized_ _"quotes"_. Read, Enjoy, and Review!

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><p>Mokuba woke with a groan when he heard a strange crowing noise. <em>That doesn't sound like a rooster. More like a 'Niwatori'. –Ow. Did he really need to hit me <em>that_ hard with the gun?_ He groaned again as he rubbed his head. Sensing his body position, he asked himself, _Did I fall asleep on my feet? Why am I standing up?_ Mokuba slowly opened his eyes, not knowing what to expect. However, whatever he _was_ expecting, it definitely wasn't what he saw. "AAAAAHHH!"

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><p>"Hey! Wake up!" a voice shouted in the echoing dungeon, hurting Seto's ears as he rose from slumber. "Slaves rise at dawn. You've got chores to do!" Magnum ordered, gripping the Key and preparing to snap his fingers again.<p>

"As you wish, 'Captain Magnum'," Seto growled, already in a bad mood. As he got up off the metal slab, he heard a cell gate opening and the captain saying, "You. Up. Your punishment's over. Get upstairs." Seto looked out of his cell just in time to watch Kuriboh bounce past him, offering a "Kwee!" of encouragement as it did. Seto smiled slightly. _So that wasn't a dream,_ he thought as Magnum unlocked his cell and clipped a strange bracelet to his wrist. "In case of a stupid move like an escape attempt," Magnum explained with a snarl. The bracelet was made of some kind of metal, and a red stone was set in the middle of it. Magnum pressed it and it glowed briefly before dimming again. Then Seto followed Yugi's path out of the dungeons.

As Seto made his way up to the main floor of the castle, he noticed that the air felt– _heavier _than it normally did. It was hard to breathe, as if he wasn't getting enough oxygen. On top of that, a faint unpleasant scent filled the air, and when the room should have been getting brighter, darkness remained. Seto reached the top of the stairs, pushed open the large oak door, and left the bleak dungeons behind him. However, the scene that now met his gaze was even worse. He had entered the Great Hall–a room he had seen many times before–but the room was now almost unrecognizable. The sky outside was dark and stormy, and torches burned in braziers all around the massive hall. Tables and benches were still set up like the last time he was here, but now the sight before him almost made him sick. Plates and platters of all manner of unfamiliar creatures now loaded the tables, and seated around were at least five hundred men, garbed in black robes and eating as if they did not know the meaning of the word 'etiquette'.

As Seto watched in disgust, another guard near him shouted, "Hey you! New slaves report to the kitchens! Don't you know anything?" then he laughed and joined his comrades at the table. Eager to escape this revolting scene, Seto turned and started for the kitchens without a word. Entering the room, he was met with another surprising sight, though this one was not nearly as unpleasant. 'Flame Swordsman' was preparing dishes at an incredible rate, using his blade as a cutting knife and his Fire alignment to cook the food almost instantaneously. As if that wasn't strange enough, Seto saw that where the Duel Monster's usual face should have been, he recognized _Joey's_ instead! 'Dark Magician Girl' and other female Duel Monsters were carrying the prepared platters out as serving girls, and Seto turned red with anger and a bit of embarrassment when he saw what they were forced to wear. _This is worse than what Leia wore on Star Wars: Episode VI!_ he thought in revulsion.

"Whaddaya doin', jus' standin' dere? I _could_ use some help, ya know!" Flame Swordsman stated hotly, not looking up from his work. Seto jumped a little, coming back to his senses. "You can wash da dirty dishes. I always end up evaporatin' da water." _Gee, I wonder why._ Seto thought with a smirk, but did as he was asked anyway, to help his friend. As fast as Seto washed the dishes, Flame Swordsman gave him more to wash. Half an hour of this frantic-paced work passed, then the Duel Monster exhaled heavily and leaned against the counter, cleaning off his sword and returning it to his back. "Whew! Done wid breakfast. Good ting it's only sandwiches fer lunch today! So new guy, what's yer name?"

Seto had his back turned to Joey, so the latter couldn't see his face as he finished up the dishes. _Uh-oh. I'd better make something up. If I say my real name, there will be trouble._ Out loud he said the first thing that came to mind. "Uh– Ryushiro."

"'White Dragon', huh? Cool name. Mine's Flame Swordsman. Nice ta meet ya," Joey smiled, patting Seto on the back in a friendly manner. Unfortunately Seto wasn't used to Flame Swordsman's strength, and that gesture shoved him face-first into the soapy water. "Whoops! Sorry!" Joey laughed, handing him a dry towel. Seto laughed too as he dried off his face, answering, "No harm done. Don't worry about it."

As Seto let the water out of the sink, the serving girls came back through the kitchen to go to the dressing rooms and change. Seto frowned in both disapproval and sympathy as the girls passed, politely looking away to give them a little privacy. "Yeah, I don' like dat eider. It's humiliatin' enough bein' enslaved like dis. Why should da girls look like– like– well, you know wat I mean." Joey mumbled, red in the face just like Seto was. "At least I convinced dem to have 'Harpy Lady' an' 'St. Joan' do diff'rent jobs. I didn't want my little sis wearin' _dat_!"

"Serenity? She's here too? And Mai? Who else–" Seto asked without thinking, and the words were out before he could bite them back. _Great. Now I blew it._

"Who?" Joey asked. "Who's dis 'Mai'? And 'Serenity', wat's dat? Some kinda virtue? I jus' know 'em as St. Joan an' Harpy Lady. Yer new here, aren't ya–" Then he gasped when he finally saw Seto's face. "Wat da– Wat da heck! What's da _prince_ doin' workin' like a slave in a place like dis?" he spluttered, flabbergasted. Just then, Dark Magician Girl came out of the dressing room in her usual armor and gasped, "My prince? It–it _is_ you!" she cried, running up to the confused CEO and embracing him like an old friend.

"I–I beg your pardon?" Seto stuttered, flummoxed. _Prince?_ he thought incredulously. _I'm not– what is she talking about?_ His face was once again red, but this time it was only with embarrassment from the hug.

"Yer–yer Highness!" Joey stammered, dropping to one knee. Seto opened and closed his mouth a few times, but no words came out. "Wh-what are you talking about?" he managed after a few seconds.

"You mean you don't remember? Oh no! This is terrible! The prince has lost his memory!" Dark Magician Girl cried, and Joey assumed a sympathetic expression. "There is a prophecy–" Mana continued, and Seto thought to himself, _Oh great. Not again._

"When dark and shadows veil the land,

The Prince shall come with mighty hand.

And with his power of Dragon of White,

Restore the land to purest light."

"Thus has it been foretold, from the knights of old." Mana explained, her countenance falling as she thought of her friends' fate. "A hero shall come from a distant land and free us from this darkness and oppression. Ever since these 'Shadow Hunters' came, the sun has not shown on the castle _once_. Please, my prince, you must find a way to free this land, and restore it to the glory it once knew!"

_Oh. I get it. I'm the prince of _Games_,_ Seto remembered. _That's what they must be talking about._ Seto nodded, agreeing to try to help the Duel Monsters regain their home. Mana clapped and laughed gleefully, then became serious once more. "It's not safe to talk here. Let us go to the prince's chambers. No one will bother us there. Follow me," she urged, and Seto and Joey followed closely behind her. She carefully peeked out the kitchen door and whispered, "All right, the coast is clear. Come on," and the two boys followed their friend out into the Great Hall.

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><p>Just as they were halfway across the room, Seto heard hoofbeats on the marble floor, and several sets of footfalls close behind it. He looked up in the direction of the sound, and was horrified at what he heard and saw next.<p>

"He's loose! Quick, restrain him! Get him back to the post!" a robed guard shouted, and ten others threw ropes and chains around the escaping creature. With another horrified gasp, Seto realized that the creature was actually 'Mystic Horseman', but instead of the monster's usual human half, Mokuba's upper body was in its place. "Mokuba!" Seto cried, running to help his brother. However, Joey and Mana held him back, shouting, "No!" "Stop!" "Ya can't save 'im!" "You'll be killed!" "Dey're too strong!" Their words did nothing to dissuade the enraged dragon-warrior, and he fought them with all of his strength, yelling, "_Mokuba_! MOKUBA!"

"Seto!" the boy/centaur shouted back, "Catch!" and he threw something to his brother just before a rope restrained his arms. Seto caught it with his left hand, and realized that Mokuba must have brought his deck to this world. It was bound with a rubber band, and Seto glanced at it briefly before returning his gaze to his brother. "Find the Fountain! Save the Guardian! There you'll find what you require–" Mokuba called as he was finally subdued and dragged away. "_MOKUBA_!" Seto roared, but it was too late. His brother and the guards had already disappeared.

"I'm sorry," Joey said after he released Seto, his eyes downcast. "Mystic Horseman's my friend too, but it can't be helped. The only way ta save 'im now is to save da world. And ta do dat, we need ta get yer power back. You're jus' an ordinary human right now, yer draconic strength was taken when dey stole yer armor. An' gettin' it back won' be easy. Dere's thugs an' goons all over da place. I'd bet da strongest ones are keeping yer armor pieces hidden somewhere on 'em."

"Flame Swordsman is right, my prince. Like it or not, you are no match for them right now, as you are. You must free this land and each of the twenty shrines that guard the territories," Mana explained. "Only _then_ will you be strong enough to return here and defeat the 'Shadow King', the man who calls himself 'Bandit'," she concluded sadly, thinking of all her friends who had been enslaved because of him and his dark army.

Seto nodded slowly in understanding, thinking to himself, _So it _was_ Keith. I _knew_ I'd recognized his voice._ Out loud he said, "I see. Thanks for explaining things, Mana. I know what I have to do now," he smiled gratefully at her, and she returned the expression with a friendly smile of her own. "Now to business." Seto stated. "What did my brother mean, 'Save the Guardian'? I know where the fountain is, but what am I supposed to do once I'm there?"

"I'm sure all will be made clear to you when we find the Fountain," Mana suggested, not quite knowing herself exactly what would happen. "The Realm has changed so much. I don't even recognize it anymore, and I've lived here for centuries! The Dominion of the Beasts is no longer the wondrous, beautiful land we once knew. Now it is cursed, stained by the evil of our oppressors," Mana growled angrily, clenching her hands into fists.

"I agree. Something has to be done about those Rare Hunt– I mean, _Shadow_ Hunters and the false 'King'. But before I can even _begin_ on this quest, I need to get this dumb alarm-bracelet off," Seto said quietly, raising the arm on which the restraining device was fastened.

"Allow me," Joey offered confidently, drawing his blade from his back and pointing it perpendicular to Seto's wrist. When Seto looked at him in alarm, Joey reassured with a quiet laugh, "My aim's even better den my culinary skills. I know exactly how much power's necessary for every swinga' my blade. Dere's no reason to be nervous."

Seto slowly nodded after a moment, involuntarily tensing for what was about to happen. The Flame Swordsman raised his weapon over his head, and bringing it down with both hands, broke the bracelet cleanly in two without even touching the skin underneath. "Dere! See? No sweat!" Joey crowed proudly, rubbing it in a little for fun. "I told ya it'd be fine!"

"Yeah, you did," Seto answered, smiling. "Thanks."

"Nyeh, don' mention it. You'd do da same ting fer me, I'm sure." Joey laughed, shrugging as he returned his sword to his back. "Of course. I've always considered you a friend, Joey, for as long as I've known you," Seto stated.

"Whaddaya mean by dat? We jus' met, not half an hour ago!" Joey asked, bewildered. "Oh! Is dis one a dem tings wid dese manacle thingamajigs? I got dis fuzzy memory of some goon lockin' it on my ankle and sayin' dat it's some kinda 'memory modifier' or sometin' like dat," he explained, gesturing to a strange metal cuff on his left ankle, which had a green stone set in it.

"That looks like one of those Orichalcos stones," Seto observed, kneeling down to study it more closely. "I see, this device erased your memories and replaced them with new ones. Luckily you still remembered your friends and your sister. I saw one of those things on Mokuba's leg too. I guess they did it to all our friends that they captured."

"Are you referring to the Guardians? The Duel Monsters who have been merged with souls from another world?" Mana interjected, curious. "_That's_ why I've been having those terrible headaches! I've been remembering things from an alternate lifetime!" she exclaimed as the three of them walked to the enormous doors of cedar that led into the castle courtyard. "How many of us are there, anyway? Guardians, I mean?"

"Well, you said before that there were twenty shrines in this realm, one for each territory. I'm guessing that each one of them has a guardian spirit that watches over that shrine. So I'd guess that there are twenty Guardians, not including myself," Seto offered, not completely positive that he was correct. "I guess 'royalty' here is based on one's status in the dueling world. But _Yugi_ is the _King_ of Games, why wasn't _he_ chosen to save the world?"

"I dunno. Maybe it's 'cause he was changed inta a Kuriboh when he came here, jus' like I must've become dis," Joey guessed, gesturing at his altered appearance. "You didn't change because you were already merged wid 'Blue-Eyes White Dragon'. Dat's what da prophecy said anyway." Seto nodded in confirmation, and Mana slowly echoed the movement. By this time, they had reached the doors, and Mana put a hand on the handle and looked back at her companions with a mournful expression.

"Before we go further, I must warn you. These 'Shadow Hunters' are ruthless. Their crimes are unspeakable. What you are about to see, Ryushiro, is the _least_ of the horrors they have committed. Prepare yourself," she pleaded, and Seto nodded, masking his emotions as he had done so many times in the past. Mana slowly opened the giant door, and the three walked out into the courtyard.

…

"No–" Seto gasped when he saw the terrible sight. "How could they? How could they do this? This– this can't be happening!"

"I'm afraid so, Ryushiro. It _has_ happened. And much worse. In just a few short weeks in your dimension, but years in ours, the Shadow King has completely destroyed our world and made it into the cursed land you now see before you," Mana whispered, silent tears running down her cheeks. Before the three figures stood what at first glance appeared to be a sickening sculpture, but closer inspection revealed the carving to be encased in crystal. Seto ran up to the nearest figure and gasped in horror once more.

A black, cracked obelisk stood tall and proud against the blood-red sky, its point as sharp as any double-edged sword. To the base of it were chained three figures, all encased in crystal and impaled through the heart with large swords. The figure at whose feet Seto was now kneeling was clearly the tallest, his head bowed in defeat and his blond hair falling from its place under his helmet, which was askew. On either side of him, his two 'brothers' were similarly chained, the three ancient guardians of Atlantis, imprisoned once again by the evil power of the Orichalcos.

"They tried to protect us, as they have for millennia. They fought valiantly against the forces of darkness, to prevent the committing of unspeakable atrocities. But they were overpowered. I've never seen Sir Critias so angry." she shuddered in fear at the memory. "The enemy's strength and numbers were too great, and the demons chained and imprisoned them in this way as a message to all who would dare oppose them." Mana explained. "I'm sure you have been wondering how these fiends could have overpowered you, the Dragon Warrior. How they gained strength enough to defeat Blue-Eyes." Seto nodded. "Remember the feast in the Great Hall this morning? And did you remember that before the Shadow Hunters came, no flesh of any animal was ever consumed by Duel Monsters?" Another nod.

"Dere are creatures other dan Duel Monsters in da Dominion of the Beasts," Joey continued in his friend's place. "Small ones, big ones, you name it. In fact, one of da huge ones actually inspired da monster Grendel in dat epic, 'Beowulf'. Long story short, dey get their strength from consuming da bodies of dose monsters, and not just dat kind eider. Dey also eat– us. Duel Monsters."

Seto cried out at this ultimate act of horror and depravity, righteous anger and loathing burning in his eyes as he glared at the window to the throne room, where he knew Keith was sitting. _There are no words to describe them anymore. They can't even be called _humans_ for what they have done._

"Some of da worst ones actually try ta kill da humanoid Duel Monsters. Dat's wat da three knights were tryin' to prevent when dey were defeated and chained. Dey were protectin' 'Toon Dark Magician Girl'. Luckily I managed ta lop off one a their heads, so he's not eatin' any of my pals!" Joey added with a grimace. "Even though I hated ta kill 'im. He was still human, an' now I'm a murderer," he realized, guilt and despair washing over him.

_Pegasus would go absolutely _nuts_ if he heard about this. He wouldn't stop until every single guilty member of the Rare Hunters was caught and put on death row. Actually, when I get home, that's just what _I'm_ gonna do. If they aren't all dead by the time this realm is back to the way it was–_ Seto resolved, vengeance and justice roaring in his mind and heart to be unleashed.

"You're not a murderer, Joey. Your actions were completely justified. He deserved to die for what he did, what he was doing. Those Shadow Hunters aren't humans anymore. Now they are nothing but mindless, _soulless_ monsters. You did the right thing," Seto said, putting a hand on his friend's shoulder-plate, below the blade. Turning back to Critias, Seto whispered, "I only hope that when this is all over, we'll be able to free them, and that they'll be all right. Critias is my brother, just like Seth, Noah, and Mokuba."

Mana and Joey gave their new friend a few minutes to pay his respects to the knights who had helped him many times now. Then Seto got to his feet and turned to his companions. "Well we can't do anything to help them by just standing around here. Let's go find the fountain, free the Guardian–whoever it is–and come one step closer to defeating that Orichalcos Overlord and saving the world!"

* * *

><p><span>End of chapter 2<span>

Next chapter teaser: Surprises

*winces* Okay, this chapter _definitely_ turned out darker than I originally planned– I liked that part with Joey and Seto working in the kitchen, though. That was funny! (mostly 'cause Seto got wet!) I'm so mean to my characters!

Seto: Mostly me, you mean.

Me: Yeah, mostly you. I can't help it! You're just too fun to make fun of!

And yeah, I broke the fourth wall a bit there. But don't you think that Seto and Mokie would have watched movies like Star Wars at home on a 'family night'? That's what I would do!

Wow, poor Duel Monsters. Especially the girls. And I really feel sorry for the knights! (again)

Little fun fact for your entertainment: Starting in this chapter, since Mokie is 'Mystic Horseman' now, he's taller than Seto! (And his voice changed.) How's that for a funny, mind-boggling concept?

See you next chapter!

Elementianhero22/

Tsunami Storm


	3. Surprises

Here's chapter 3! Sorry it took so long, but I was afflicted with the horrible sickness known and feared by all authors, Writer's Block. *shudder* Hope I don't get _you_ sick! Anyway, Read, Enjoy, and Review!

* * *

><p>–Flashback–<p>

"Reports of odd disappearances have been surfacing all over our home town of Domino. Police are baffled as to the cause and manner of the kidnappings, and also to the whereabouts of the unfortunate victims. However, the authorities have discovered a connection between the missing persons. Most are reported to be 'duelists' of a high caliber in the popular card game, 'Duel Monsters'. If you or one of your family members fits this description, the chief of police has advised security measures that are asked to be taken. These suggestions can be found on the official 'home security' pamphlet that officers of the law have been distributing for the past few weeks. That being said, stay safe, and hopefully the perpetrators behind these kidnappings will be caught and stopped."

"We now turn to our weather report with Mr. Storm–"

_Click._ Seto Kaiba turned off the television at his home, relaxing on the sofa with his little brother Mokuba beside him. They had just finished watching a movie that Mokuba had picked, 'Star Wars: Episode VI', and Seto had wanted to check the news to see what was happening in the world. Of course, it was just a repeat of the news yesterday. No new leads on the mysterious kidnappings, and his friends and companions disappearing one by one. His own family was being targeted, and Noah, Seth and Kisara were on a forced vacation of sorts to Egypt, to see what had become of the 'Land of the Pharaohs' in the last five thousand years. Seto had suggested it, not wanting any of his family to get hurt. He had stayed behind in Domino to oversee Kaibacorp., and Mokuba had insisted that he would stay wherever Seto was.

_Actually, Seth, Noah and Kisara should have been back by now. Their 'vacation' was only supposed to last for a week. I hope they didn't get lost in a pyramid or something– _Mokuba thought worriedly as he curled up closer to his brother. _Or worse! They could have been kidnapped like all the others!_ he mentally exclaimed, horrified at the thought. "Seto? Why didn't you read that pamphlet yet? You're the best duelist in the _world_ other than Yugi. You're bound to be one of their next targets!" he asked his big brother, who looked perfectly at ease next to him on the sofa.

"Mokuba, I _have_ been taking precautions. You just weren't paying attention. The reason I'm so relaxed right now is that I am positive that no one can get through the mansion's security system without proper clearance. You can rest assured. No one will take _me_ down without a real fight," Seto answered confidently. "And that goes for you as well. I won't let anything happen to you, kiddo."

"Why me? I'm not that good a duelist. Why would they take me?" Mokuba asked, stumped.

"Well one, because you're my little brother. They'd try to use you to get to me. That's happened a few times now. And two, there's another connection between some of the kidnappings that the police didn't see. Most of the victims were Guardians. Either from the past or the future. The only Item that hasn't been counted as 'missing' is the Rod, which I have. And don't worry, it's safe, and so are we," Seto assured, putting an arm around his little brother and giving him a gentle side-hug. Mokuba smiled a little at this, seemingly comforted by his brother's words. But on the inside, he was distressed and worried about his friends. Where were they? Who was the maniac behind this? What did he/she want? How were they doing this, making all their friends disappear? So many questions, and no answers to any of them. Mokuba sighed sadly. _The only clue we've got is that this person is someone with a grudge against us. But that doesn't exactly narrow things down._ Mokuba thought dejectedly. _There's no end to the possibilities of who it could be. But this I know for sure: It's not just one person. No one person could cause this much panic, no matter how powerful they are._

"Well, I think it's time you went to bed, Mokie," Seto said with a smirk when his little brother yawned involuntarily. "I'll come up in a minute, I just want to check our security system one more time. Go up to bed and sleep. You've got school tomorrow, remember?" Seto said kindly, gently pushing Mokuba to the side so that he could get up. Mokuba nodded sleepily, and Seto smiled as he watched his little brother climb the stairs to his room. Once Mokuba was out of sight, Seto's mask of calm melted away to reveal the tense, strained expression that he had been suppressing all day. He had felt uneasy since this morning, when he sensed that something had happened to his other brothers and sister-in-law. Something bad. He felt behind his back and gripped the handle of the Rod, which was hooked into his belt-loop under his trademark trench-coat. Yes, something had certainly happened to the former wielder of the Rod. Seto could not sense him anymore in this dimension, although he had felt their faint presence this morning as they toured Egypt. _They had better be all right,_ Seto threatened mentally, _or those fiends will regret ever being born!_

Walking to the nearest security keypad, he removed his locket and slid it in the appropriate slot. Then he pressed his thumb to the scan plate and said "Seto Kaiba" in a clear tone. "Voice recognition and fingerprint scan verified. Security status: Unchanged. No breaches detected in the last five hours." the computer-voice stated matter-of-factly. "Set alarm to night-watch," Seto commanded, and the computer beeped three times before replying, "Night-watch program initiated. Good night, sir."

Seto smiled a little at the computer's wish, realizing that Mokuba must have programmed that in as a little surprise for him. _That sneaky little rascal. He's just as smart as _I_ am when he wants to be. Why doesn't he show it more often?_ Seto thought with a smirk, shaking his head a little. Then he ascended the staircase to his own room and changed into his pajamas, setting the Millennium Rod on his nightstand.

Hours later–

Seto awoke with a start to the crash of thunder and the flash of lightning just outside his window. _What's going on? It's supposed to be clear skies all week!_ he thought in confusion. Glancing at his clock, he saw the red digits displaying 3:15 a.m. A millisecond later, the security alarm started wailing, and Seto realized that the lightning was caused by no ordinary storm. Glancing outside his window to the backyard, he saw a gigantic figure shuffling toward the house, its red eyes gleaming and a strange-yet-familiar seal glowing on its forehead. _Oh no._ Seto realized. _I thought we were done with this two years ago! I guess some pieces survived–_ then he cried mentally, _Mokuba!_

–End Flashback–

Seto woke with a groan as he stood up from the hard ground. _Ugh. What a nightmare. I never had a dream about my _memories_ before. I didn't even know such a thing was possible._ He surveyed his surroundings blearily, and his heart lurched when he saw the destruction that surrounded him, remembering what he had seen and heard about the day before. The once-beautiful forest had all been razed to the ground, and ash coated the barren wasteland that now stood before him. "Dey forced me ta cut down all dese trees, fer their bonfires an' such. 'Celtic Guardian' wasn' too happy wid me fer dat, but I didn't have any choice. He's da guardian of da forest, see, one a da Guardians of da shrines, I tink. He escaped from da castle a few months ago and is livin' in what's left a da forest ta da northeast," Joey had explained sadly, angry that all his friends had abandoned the castle and were forced out of their homes by the Shadow Hunters.

"I'm sorry," Seto said quietly. "We'll find a way to save this land, no matter what the cost." Then the trio ventured out to where the Fountain stood. As they journeyed, Seto looked through his deck that Mokuba had given him and gasped. "What happened to my deck? All the monster cards are blank! I still have my Magic and Trap cards, but the monsters are all gone!"

"Wat?" Joey exclaimed, walking back to where his companion stood. "Oh. I guess dat dis is part of da magic a' dose creeps. I guess dat you hafta fight wid _us_ instead of yer regular deck. Hope you're good at improvisation, Ryushiro!" he added, patting Seto on the back again. Confused, Seto looked from his altered deck to his friends and back again, not knowing exactly what to say. "Don't worry. We'll help you to battle without using your deck. Each and every Duel Monster has a special ability. You will discover what they are in time," Mana assured, promising to offer her aid whenever and wherever Seto would require it. "Every one of your friends from your world is a Guardian, correct?" she asked the still-bewildered CEO. Seto nodded, and Mana smiled. "So whenever you free or save a Guardian, they will accompany you on your journey, and act as your 'Monster cards'. They will add their power to yours, and in time, you will regain your former strength, defeat the Shadow King, and save our world!"

Seto nodded again with a smile, grateful that his friends agreed to help him in this quest. If he was honest with himself, he probably wouldn't have been able to do it alone. He was a bit worried though. "But– won't _you_ be in danger? What happens if you're– you know, defeated? Will your spirits be lost forever?" Seto asked, horrified at the thought of losing any one of his new friends, or worse, his family.

"Dat's wat 'Monster Reborn' is for! You _do_ have one in yer deck, don't ya?" Joey laughed, both reassuring Seto and teasing him a bit. "Of course. Every duelist with an _ounce_ of talent has at least _one_ in their deck," Seto stated, as if such a fact were plainly obvious to anyone. "But how am I supposed to use them? Without a Duel Disk, I can't do much of anything."

"Sure ya can!" Joey disagreed. "How did people in your world battle before yer Duel Disk tings? And before decks, fer dat matter? Dey used magic."

"–And our dia-dianks, don't forget those," Mana interjected, reminding her friend of the ancient devices used by the Guardians in Egypt. "Nah, I'm talkin' _way_ back. Like in Atlantis, before da Orichalcos stones showed up. Dey relied on magic _alone_. Dat's how we'll duel. You can teach Ryushiro da basics of summoning traps and castin' spells. I'm gonna scout ahead. We should be gettin' pretty close ta da Fountain by now," Joey explained as he jogged ahead of where his other two companions were walking.

"Basically, you just have to think the spell in your mind, and seal the spell with magic. Like this: 'Magic Cylinder'!" she cried, concentrating her energy and pointing her staff in front of her. Out of thin air, a spell circle appeared, and two hollow cylinders came through the center of it. As they disappeared, Mana turned to Seto. "Did you sense how I did it?" she asked, and Seto nodded. "Traps are basically the same way. You simply imagine your opponent–or in your case, your opponent's monster–falling for the trap that you want to summon. Then just seal it with magic, and 'Ta Da'!" a pitfall opened right in front of them. "the trap is set!"

"I see," Seto nodded, grateful for her explanation. Then he asked his companion about something that had been bothering him for a while now. "Mana? What happens when a player loses a duel of magic like this? Is it like a Shadow Game, where the player has to face a penalty? Or worse, like an Orichalcos Duel, where the loser loses his soul?"

"I'm not sure. It's never come up before. At least, not that I remember. In this world, our enemies have once again revived the cursed magic of the Orichalcos, so I guess the same rules apply. Why are you worrying about it anyway? You're the Prince of Games, you _never_ lose!" Mana stated confidently, mock-punching Seto's arm.

"I wish that were true. When Yugi– um, _Atem_ and I fought Dartz, I– I lost, and my soul was taken by the Orichalcos." Seto shuddered at the memory. "That was the most painful experience of my life, even worse than when Pegasus trapped me, Mokuba and Yugi's grandfather in the Shadow Realm. In a very real way, it was like I– died– that day, and Atem brought me back when he defeated Dartz. I hope that's not the case this time. If it is, and I'm defeated, how will this land ever be saved?" Seto asked, worried for the sake of all the Duel Monsters who were suffering under the oppressive hand of the Shadow King.

"In the highly-unlikely event that something like that happens, we'll do our best to defeat the Bandit King by ourselves. Depending on how many Guardians you free, we'll all fight to dethrone the false king and bring you back. But I highly doubt that will happen. Do you really have that little faith in our power, and in your own?" Mana asked, slightly hurt at his words.

"Of course I believe in you! And I know that there is something to be said for believing in the 'Heart of the Cards', as Yugi calls it. You're right, Mana. I can't afford to have doubts now. If I am confident in my abilities, there's no way I can lose!"

"That's the spirit!" Mana exclaimed joyfully. "Now come on, let's find the Fountain and save our first Guardian! I wonder who it will be?" she wondered out loud as she skipped off after Joey. Seto followed after a minute, smiling a genuine smile for the first time in weeks, calmed and collected thanks to Mana's reassuring words.

…

After a few minutes of walking, Mana asked shyly, "Umm, my prince? It seems that you are very recognizable in your current form. Would you allow me to alter your appearance slightly for reasons concerning your safety?"

"You can do that?" Seto asked, surprised. The thought had never occurred to him before. "Sure. I guess. But make it a look that people would never guess that I would adopt. Like, longish hair, maybe a different color, and a mustache. Actually, scratch the mustache. I don't wanna look like Gozaburo."

"Sure!" Mana nodded with a smile, then she pointed her staff at her duelist and started chanting a magical spell under her breath. Seto felt his hair growing longer, and when he looked at it over his shoulder, he noticed that it had turned to a light auburn. When the spell finished, Seto looked in a nearby puddle, and it took more than a moment to recognize himself. "You cannot act as you usually do either, my prince. Adopt mannerisms that the enemy would not expect. Instead of your true identity, you must become 'Ryushiro', Dragon Hero of the Dominion."

…

Hours later, the two friends caught up with Joey, who was staring at the remains of the Fountain in disgust. "Look wat dose monsters did! Dey completely destroyed it! When I get my hands on whoever did dis– I'll–" Joey growled, wringing his hands around an imaginary neck. "Easy, Joey. Save your strength for _real_ battles, not imaginary ones," Seto cautioned, putting a hand on the Duel Monster's shoulder. He didn't like what had happened to the beautiful structure either, but he was more skilled at concealing his emotions.

"Hey! What are you doing here? This area's off-limits to tourists, and especially to inferior monsters!" a robed guard shouted, appearing out of nowhere in front of the travelers. "Inferior! Why I oughta–" Joey shouted, drawing his sword and advancing on the man who insulted him. "Calm down, Joey. That's just what he wants you to do. Let's settle this the proper way, with a duel." Seto cautioned, tapping into his magic that flowed through him and took a stance facing his opponent. "Ha! What are you trying to do, have a duel? You don't even have a Duel Disk!" the masked man laughed, casting off his robes and activating his own version of the technology that Seto had created. If he had to describe the device, Seto would say that it most resembled the 'Duel Disks' that Dartz and his minions had used, only this one was pitch-black, with red card plates and sickly-green runes carved all over it.

"I don't need a Duel Disk to defeat a weakling like you!" Seto retorted, frowning at his opponent across the field.

* * *

><p>Elsewhere–<p>

"Where is it?" Bandit Keith shouted, ripping out another drawer from Mokuba's dresser. "That brat better not have lied to me! I've looked everywhere in this god-forsaken mansion, and I can't find that stupid stick anywhere!" he threw the empty drawer against the wall, where it left a large dent.

"AAARRGGHH!" the duelist roared in fury after a few more minutes without success. "That's it! When I get back to my kingdom, that– _pony-boy_ is gonna get a beating he'll never forget!"

_Briiinnnggg!_ Keith's cell phone rang at just that moment, and the card shark was so surprised that he jumped a foot in the air. "YYEEAAHHRRGGHH! WHAT THE HELL?" he yelped. Grabbing the device from his pocket, he snarled, "You IDIOT! I thought I told all of you never to call me at this number!"

"–F-forgive– me– Master," Umbra wheezed. "I've– failed you–"

"WHAT?" Keith shouted, completely taken by surprise. "How the hell did that happen? Who defeated you? How did anyone defeat you? You guys are supposed to be the best of the best!"

"Ryu-shiro– beware– the dragon, –Ryushiro–" then the line went dead.

"What? I already imprisoned that wench, Kisara! She's the only White Dragon! Unless– NO! It can't be!"

* * *

><p>Back in the Dominion of the Beasts–<p>

"Aaarrggghhh–" Umbra gurgled as he was defeated and fell to the ground. Both Joey and Seto were breathing hard, exhausted from the battle. Mana was using her magic to heal Joey's wounds, as he had acquired quite a few in his battle against the Shadow Hunter's monsters. Seto had stubbornly refused her offer of aid, answering that his strength would return on its own. Suddenly a greenish-black cloud appeared above the defeated hunter, and the man woke up screaming, "No Master! Please, have mercy! I–I can defeat him! Give me another chance! NOOO!" he cried as he was trapped in a crimson ray of light and dragged down into the depths of the earth.

Joey started and jumped back a few inches, exclaiming, "Yikes! Man, I wouldn't wanna be dat guy! I guess dat's what happens when ya sell yer soul to da Devil. Or, da Orichalcos in dis case," he shuddered.

Seto–who was more concerned with the destruction of the Fountain–was not really paying attention to his friend. Or his rather amusing expressions. Mana couldn't help giggling at the face he was making though, and this action earned her a raised eyebrow from Seto that clearly said, _Are you feeling okay?_ Mana snickered again and subtly pointed to Joey, who still had a humorous expression on his face. Seto smirked a little and shook his head, then he exhaled and knelt down next to the remains of the Fountain.

"Do you guys remember what this thing looked like? I've only seen it a few times," Seto asked, looking at his two companions. Joey shrugged, shaking his head sadly. However, Mana smiled and nodded. "Not to worry, my prince. I remember how it was. Just give me a minute." She raised her staff and closed her eyes for a moment, then started twirling the wand like a marching baton and reciting a complex-sounding spell. An orb of rose-colored light the size of a volleyball burst out of the tip of the staff, and it quickly circled around the ruined fountain, rebuilding the structure in minutes when it would otherwise have taken hours. When it was finished, Mana stepped back to admire her handiwork.

A young maiden holding a large urn on her shoulder stood proudly in the center of the fountain, and crystal-clear liquid flowed out of the pot and down her hourglass figure. The stone statue had long wavy hair, and was dressed in the fashion of the ancient Greeks. Gold bands and bracelets adorned her slender arms, and hoops of gold and silver hung around her ankles. The figure wore a smile on her face, and tiny diamonds sparkled in her eyes as she gazed down at any being that might approach her spring.

The fountain itself was about fifteen feet in diameter, and was made of bricks of limestone. The figure of the girl in the center was carved from a single piece of white marble. Joey whistled appreciatively at the statuette, and Seto rolled his eyes, admiring the sculpture in spite of himself. Suddenly the wind blew softly from behind the travelers, and an ethereal voice whispered, "Thank you." Joey, Mana, and Seto spun around, and before them stood the Guardian that they had been seeking, the 'Mystical Elf'.

"Isis!" Seto whispered to himself, for the Duel Monster looked just like the Guardian of the Millennium Necklace from the past. The Mystical Elf nodded, indicating that she had heard his quiet exclamation. "I am the Celestial Guardian of the Stars, and I thank you for restoring my shrine, my prince. The Fountain of Life shall once again provide health for the wounded, and refreshment for the faint. Come, regain your strength. It is the _least_ of thanks that I can give to you," Isis offered, holding out a crystalline bottle of the pure water. Seto shrugged and accepted it with a nod of thanks, and took a small sip. Almost at once his fatigue vanished and his strength returned, greater than it had been before the battle.

Mana was the first to notice that something about her friend's appearance was different. She shyly asked about it, and the Guardian smiled warmly. She removed the abnormality, which appeared to be a besague [shoulder-plate] from her right shoulder and presented it to Seto, saying, "For the destined hero, to aid in the final battle." Seto smiled and accepted the armor piece gratefully, buckling it onto his own shoulder. Almost immediately he felt somewhat stronger, as if the small piece of armor had stored some of his draconic power inside itself. As soon as he buckled the piece of armor on, an aura of blue-white light surrounded him for a second, then faded away.

"Whoa," Joey stated, awed for a moment. "Dat was interesting. If you were a Duel Monster, I would say dat your Attack points just increased. How much do ya think it added, anyway?" he asked his friend, who was deep in thought. The group left the restored Fountain of Life, Isis following shyly behind them.

Seto shrugged. "Um, I'm not really sure how to explain it, but in Duel Monster terms, my strength just jumped from 0 to 120 Attack points and 100 Defense points," he answered, unsure if the statement was correct or not. "When I regain all the pieces of my armor, I'll be as strong as Blue-Eyes. Maybe even stronger."

"Whoa," Joey stated, obviously impressed. Then he chuckled nervously. "Heh. We've got a ways ta go yet den, huh?" he asked rhetorically.

"Yeah," Seto answered with a sigh, walking beside his friend as they journeyed through the ash-covered wasteland that was once a verdant forest. Isis and Mana followed along behind their two companions, silent and shy on the Elf's part, gleeful and skipping on the Magician's. After a few minutes, Flame Swordsman looked back at his unusually-cheerful friend and asked incredulously, "How can ya be so happy when we're surrounded by so much death an' destruction?"

"Easy. Take a close look at the ground!" Mana suggested with a smile. Both Flame Swordsman and the prince knelt down on the ash-covered land to see what Mana was talking about. Before Seto's eyes, a tiny sprout of a plant was poking its way out of the ash. "The curse is already beginning to weaken. By restoring the Fountain of Life, our prince has made it possible for this forest to grow back. In time, the woods we loved so dearly will once again return, grander than they were before," she explained, beaming a smile of deepest thanks to her prince, whose only response was a nod of the head and slightly-pink cheeks. He was beginning to like the perky young magician from ancient Egypt, and was eager to get to know her better. Their newest companion didn't say much at all, but Seto guessed that she was a lot like her future counterpart Ishizu Ishtar. Both were rather soft-spoken, but whenever they did have something to say, it was always a sentiment full of wisdom and understanding.

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><p>The group traveled for a few more hours, trying to guess who the next Guardian would be, and where hisher shrine would be. Joey and Mana didn't remember anything about their own shrines, and when Seto asked Isis, she merely shook her head and shrugged, indicating that she did not know either. "Well, I guess we'll just have to keep traveling until we bump into another Shadow Hunter!" Mana chirped brightly, still happy about the eventual return of the forest. As they walked, the travelers heard a strange, faint growling noise. Seto and Mana looked around, expecting an attack from a wild beast, but when their gaze fell on Joey, the Flame Swordsman's face was as red as his helmet. "Wat? I'm hungry!"

Mana and Isis laughed. "I've never heard someone's stomach growl _quite_ that loudly before, Flame Swordsman!" Mana giggled, causing her friend's face to flush even redder with embarrassment. Seto chuckled a little bit too, thinking, _He hasn't changed a bit. He's just like he was in the real world._ Out loud he said, "Give him a break, Mana. We haven't had much in the food department since I came here." He reached into one of his pockets and pulled out an apple. "Luckily I anticipated this, so I snuck a few pieces of fruit from that– 'banquet table' at the castle when no one was looking." He tossed the fruit to Joey, who caught it with one hand and bit into it with relish. "Tanks!" he called back with a mouth full of apple. As Joey ate, the four traveled on, heading southeast to look for a sign of the next shrine.

…

About an hour after noon, Mana grew thoughtful and quiet as they continued to trek through the area. "This– seems so familiar–" she muttered to herself. "Guys? I think we should head due south now. I just have a good feeling that we should go there."

Seto raised an eyebrow, but then shrugged and turned in the correct direction. He'd had a feeling about that direction as well, and would have turned that way anyway if Mana hadn't suggested it. They walked for about two miles in the new direction, when Isis commented shyly, "The terrain has suddenly changed. Beware, my friends. I feel an evil presence in this place." Mana looked down at her feet, and saw that what Isis said was true. The ground was coated with a thick, sticky substance, strings of the stuff interwoven with one another in complex patterns. "Isis, Mana, Joey! Use your power to hover off the ground. We're standing on a giant web!" Seto warned, and the three Duel Monsters obeyed without a second thought.

A strange, faint clicking noise sounded from high above them, and Seto looked up right into the face of a gigantic brown spider. _Good thing I'm not arachnephobic–_ Seto thought to himself as Joey breathed in horror, "'Jirai Gumo'–" Astride the giant arachnid, a robed Shadow Hunter rode down to the ground and grinned at them from behind a half-mask that left his mouth exposed. "Well, well, well. Haven't seen _you_ in a long time, Kaiba. When was that, Battle City? You humiliate me with that god card of yours, then you manage to lose it to Yugi? Pathetic!" the Hunter spat, glaring at his opponent.

"Nagumo? You're Koji Nagumo, right?" Seto asked, trying to identify the masked figure before him. The giant spider clicked its pincers menacingly, and venom dripped from its snarling mouth. Joey and Isis stood straight and strong in front of their companion, waiting silently for a command to attack the monstrous insect. Mana, however, was hiding behind Joey, not daring to look at the creature that opposed her. Seto didn't blame her. Jirai Gumo wasn't one of the more appealing Duel Monsters. If his little brother were here, he'd probably react in the same way. Mokuba hated spiders.

"Duh! Who else do you know that has an insect deck as great as mine? And don't even mention that beetle-boy!" the Shadow Hunter snarled, activating his Duel Disk. Seto took a deep breath and prepared himself mentally for the imminent battle. Opposite him, Koji began to laugh. "Ha! How do you expect to fight me? You don't even have a Duel Disk! I mean, I can see how you beat Umbra, he was the weakest one of us. But if you expect to beat me in the same way, think again!" Nagumo stated belligerently.

Seto just rolled his eyes, then called back, "Is it okay if we start this duel at 2000 Life Points? I'm kinda in a hurry."

"Fine with me, it makes it easier for me to kill you!" Koji agreed with a malicious grin. Then he pulled a card out of his pocket and set it on his Disk. "I summon one monster in face-down Defense position. Your move," he chuckled, confident in his strategy.

"Isis?" Seto asked over his shoulder. The Mystical Elf looked up and smiled, then walked in front of her duelist, knelt down and began praying. "I summon 'Mystical Elf' [100/2000] in Defense mode and set one Magic/Trap card in face-down position. End turn." He thumbed through his hand, picked out the necessary card, then levitated it in the air with his power. Almost at once it grew in size and appeared just as its holographic counterpart would.

"Aw. Too bad. If only your monster wasn't a four–" Koji whined sarcastically, trying to goad Ryushiro into attacking. When he saw that his opponent wouldn't budge, Nagumo growled to himself and played a magic card right out of his hand. "I activate 'Stop Defense', so your Elf shifts to Attack mode!" Koji laughed. Isis tried to resist the spell, but failed as she was forced to her feet. "Now I flip my monster to Attack mode, activating its special ability. '4-Starred Ladybug of Doom', [800/1200] destroy that Elf!"

Isis cried out in pain as the beetle's effect removed her from the battlefield, and Ryushiro could only watch in helpless horror. Koji Nagumo laughed loudly in triumph and sneered, "Did you enjoy that? I'll just add to the fun and summon 'Killer Needle' [1200/1000] in Attack mode!" A giant bee appeared in front of the Shadow Hunter, and flexed its large abdomen threateningly. "End turn." Koji grinned, beckoning teasingly with one hand.

"Why dat little–" Joey fumed beside Ryushiro. "Lemme at 'im! Lemme at 'im!" Ryushiro nodded, and the Flame Swordsman ran at the over-sized bee and chopped it in half with a vertical slash. The bee buzzed in shock once before it exploded and was sent to the Graveyard. Due to Flame Swordsman's attack, Koji lost 600 Life Points, and a string of energy twisted itself out of his back and disappeared into the sky. _So it's like Atem's duel with Anubis. The player loses life energy when he's attacked– _Ryushiro thought to himself.

Koji doubled over as his energy lowered, and Joey snickered, "Whatsa matter, Nagumo? Bee in yer bonnet? 'Cause it ain't here no more!" Mana snorted quietly to herself, appreciating her friend's apt and witty remark. Ryushiro shook his head, then looked to Mana and nodded. "I summon 'Dark Magician Girl' [2000/1700] in Attack mode and end my turn," Ryushiro growled. Mana flew to the front lines and hovered next to Joey, who grinned in greeting.

"Fine! If that's how you wanna play it, I summon 'Jirai Gumo' [2200/100] in Attack mode!" Koji spat, waving forward his gargantuan spider-mount. The arachnid hissed angrily at its opponents, and Mana shivered involuntarily. "Jirai! Attack Ryushiro's other girlfriend and take a bite out of his Life Points!"

"Not so fast, you overgrown bug!" Ryushiro shouted. "I activate 'Spellbinding Circle'! It stops your insect in its tracks, freezes it in that position, and docks its Attack points by 700!" Mana sighed with relief as the spider froze, reared up on its back four legs, and screeched as the ring appeared around its thorax and its strength decreased.

Desperate, Koji panicked and made a rookie mistake. "I end my turn! No wait! I–"

"Too late! Your turn's over!" Ryushiro interrupted, seizing his chance. "Joey! Attack his Ladybug! Mana, attack that spider! So long, Nagumo!"

Joey happily dispatched the bug that had destroyed his friend and fellow Guardian, and Mana almost enjoyed slicing a 'Dark Burning' attack at the source of her phobia. As both monsters screeched and exploded, Koji was gripped by the same red light that had taken Umbra, and the Shadow Hunter dissolved into the ground. As all of this transpired, Seto looked at one of his magic cards and recited the spell written there. A shower of gold sparks fell from the sky and Isis reappeared in a ball of golden light.

Mana gasped in delight as her friend got to her feet and nearly tackled the taller Duel Monster in a hug. Joey grinned at Ryushiro, and the prince of Games shook the Swordsman's hand in thanks. Suddenly the ground began to shake and the giant spiderweb vanished, leaving room for a monstrous structure to rise out of the ground. An emerald hedge of bushes grew from the recently restored grassland, and fruit and nut trees of every kind sprang up within the hedge in seconds.

"It's a garden," Ryushiro realized as a gateway in the hedge appeared in front of him. He lightly touched the handle on the golden gate and it swung open noiselessly of its own accord. Mana floated in ahead of him, then stopped at the base of the center tree, whose trunk was at least fifty feet in diameter. She raised her wand to the heavens, and an odd, silvery object fell out of the branches of the tree and bounced to Ryushiro's feet. He bent down and picked it up, then realizing what it was, strapped the piece of armor to his left shoulder. It was his other besague. Now he had both shoulder-plates.

A few seconds after equipping the piece, the four companions heard a chorus of howls from nearby 'Flower Wolves' and 'Silver Fangs', and they realized that night had fallen. "Don't worry. 'Eden's Garden' is a sacred shrine. Nothing will attack here, not while its Guardian is present," Mana assured, and Joey rather reluctantly sheathed his blade. Then, Mana nodded to Isis, and the two Guardians combined their power and conjured four sleeping bags and pillows for themselves and their companions. However, Joey refused his, saying, "I get da first watch."

Ryushiro didn't complain or refuse, knowing that he was already exhausted after today's events. He removed his armor, placed it near him, then slid into the dark-blue sleeping bag. _Two Guardians in one day. Not bad. Only nineteen more to go–_ he thought with a sigh. _And it'll only get harder from here._ As sleep overtook him, his thoughts strayed to his brother. _Mokuba, be safe._

* * *

><p><span>End of chapter 3<span>

Next chapter teaser: Fire and Water

I don't have my friend Vicus to help me with the duels this time, but I think I did okay, right? Any help you guys could give would be really appreciated. (That includes you too, Araghast!)

Hmm. This 'adventure' sounds too much like a video game to me. What do you guys think? (Of course, that could just be from me finishing LoZ: OoT a few weeks ago...)

Thanks to Kh530 for your kind and excited reviews! Cookies for you! (That's a hint for all you other readers, too. Leave a review and something cool might happen! Any review type is fine, even if it's short. However, if you hate it, could you explain why so I can fix it? Thanks!) (This applies to all chapters!)

Tsunami Storm


	4. Fire and Water

Okay. This is another LONG chapter, so, you have been forewarned. Read, Enjoy, and Review!

* * *

><p><em>Clang! Clang! Clang!<em> "Rise an' shine, sleepyheads! Come on, up an' at 'em!" Joey called, banging a wooden spoon against a skillet. Mana and Ryushiro groaned, but Isis was already up, reciting her morning prayer. Ryushiro sat up and rubbed his eyes, then stifled a yawn as he looked around. "Unnh. Joey," he complained, "it's the break of dawn. Five more minutes..." he muttered as he flopped back down.

"Wat am I, yer Ma? Come on! Up! I made fruit scones!" Joey teased in a sing-song voice. "You made what?" Ryushiro asked, still half-asleep.

"I used some fruit an' nuts from dis garden, mashed da acorns inta flour, got water from Isis' Fountain, used some soured cream an' coconut oil, an' I made scones! I thought dey might come in handy on our quest," Joey explained as he tossed a scone to his friend. Ryushiro nodded in thanks, then bit off a corner. Beside him, Joey did the same. "Hmm. Could use a li'l sugar–" the Flame Swordsman commented with his mouth full.

On Ryushiro's other side, Mana still hadn't woken up. "Master– no–" she muttered, and Ryushiro guessed that she was having a nightmare about the Dark Magician. He gently shook her shoulder and whispered, "Mana. Wake up. It's just a dream. Come on, Joey made us breakfast."

That woke her up. Her emerald eyes snapped open, and she sniffed appreciatively and turned to her blond friend. "Mmm! That smells delicious!"

Joey tossed her an apple scone and took a mock bow. "Why tank you, miss! Jus' call me 'Chef Blaze'!" he laughed as he took a scone to Isis, who had just finished her prayer. Then the Flame Swordsman started packing the rest into a huge sack. "I did some calculations las' night, an' I made enough scones ta last us da whole trip an' back. I factored in each Guardian, an' I made some of every type of fruit dat was here. Dese should last 'til we get back to da castle!" Joey stated with a grin, obviously pleased with himself. Ryushiro smiled as well, then he rolled up his sleeping bag and pillow and Mana stored it in a small pocket dimension that she had created long ago. Joey carefully put the sack of scones through the portal as well, glad that he wouldn't have to carry them all the way.

When everyone was ready, the four friends left the sacred garden and journeyed east into the sunrise. Ryushiro took one last look back at the enchanted Eden and gasped at what he saw. "What is it, my prince?" Isis asked in concern.

"The– the forest! How–how did it grow back so quickly?" Ryushiro stammered, shocked by the sight before him. Thick green trees of all widths and heights stood like a wooden barrier between the Garden and the Fountain, partially blocking the view of the castle.

"Oh that's easy!" Mana laughed, waving her hand. "It's one of the effects of the Water of Life. Since you restored the Fountain, everything will grow back twice as fast until our land is returned to its former glory."

"So _this_ is where Ponce de Leon's 'Fountain of Youth' was! Heh. No wonder he never found it," Ryushiro realized. At Mana and Joey's confused look, he explained, "He was a Spanish conquistador that went searching for the Fountain of Youth in the late 1400s and never returned. He was from my world. He believed that the water from the Fountain would grant eternal youth to the drinker."

"Oh! I see." Mana exclaimed, now understanding. "Well, he was partially right. Our Fountain _does_ work that way, but the 'eternal youth' is only granted to Duel Monsters. It doesn't work on humans," she explained, smiling sadly at her friend Ryushiro, who was only human. What she didn't know was that his body and spirit were fused with that of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

"Mana? I– I have another question. This is a hypothetical scenario, but– say a human was somehow fused with a Duel Monster, body and soul, and retained some of the qualities of both. How would the water from the Fountain affect them?" Ryushiro asked, a little apprehensive concerning her answer.

"Hmm. I'm not sure about that one. Maybe you should ask the Mystical Elf. If she doesn't know, my master surely will. He knows just about everything about our Realm. If anyone could answer your question, it most certainly would be him," Mana replied, pride shining in her eyes as she thought of her Dark Magic teacher. Ryushiro nodded, then they continued on.

* * *

><p>Ryushiro and Mana hadn't been paying much attention to the scenery as they walked, so engrossed were they in their conversation. But now as they looked around, the two saw that the Flame Swordsman had led them to the base of an active volcano. The pyromanic monstrosity was spewing a column of fire into the sky, turning it red with heat and grayish-black with ash and soot. Joey took a deep breath in through his nose and sighed, "Ahh. Home, sweet home." At his friend's quizzical looks, he answered, "Wat? Dis is da Shrine of Fire. It's perfectly safe for everyone most of da time, except fer now. Follow me closely, guys. I'll lead us safely through da lava flows." With that, he lithely hopped over a small rivulet of molten rock.<p>

...

About an hour later, the group had reached a point where they could climb no higher, yet they were far from the rim. "I know it's around here somewhere–" Joey muttered to himself, closely inspecting the featureless rock wall in front of him. "Aha! Found it!" he declared, and pressed in a flame-shaped stone that was slightly redder than the rest. An untrained eye would never have been able to spot it, and Ryushiro surmised that the Flame Swordsman had used it hundreds–if not thousands–of times in his long lifespan. As soon as the button had been pressed, a door-shaped section of the rock wall split in half and slid open with a low grinding noise. "Come on in, guys! It's safe, I promise! Nice an' warm, too!" Joey encouraged, running through the doorway. Ryushiro, Isis, and Mana followed, and the doors ground shut behind them, plunging the group into darkness.

"You're not as bright as I thought you were, 'Ryushiro'. Then again, both of your opponents so far weren't the sharpest tools in the shed, either," an evil, familiar voice chuckled in the darkness. "However, I think that you will find that I am far superior to them, in both intelligence and skill," the voice continued, contempt and hatred permeating the ash-ridden air like a smog.

"I know that voice from somewhere." Ryushiro muttered to himself so that only he and his friends could hear it, and then quieter, "Who do I know that talks in a formal manner like that?"

Suddenly a speck of light appeared to Joey's right, then started growing bigger as it drew closer to the group. Joey was the first to recognize it. "Hey! It's a 'Hinotama Soul'! I'd wondered where all da Fire monsters disappeared to!" The small flaming ball hovered next to Joey for a bit, drifted over to their robed opponent, then drifted back, communicating in a strange dialect all the while. "Wat? [Pause] No! [Pause] He didn't! [Pause] Oh dat's it!" Joey stated, sudden anger burning in his brown eyes, which looked almost orange now. Turning back to the group, Joey explained, still seething, "Dat creep extinguished almost all da Fire an' Pyro monsters dat lived in dis volcano! Dis 'Hinotama Soul' is da only one dat survived!"

Ryushiro gasped in horror, and the flaming orb monster nodded sadly. The masked Shadow Hunter answered smugly, "I don't deny it. It was far too stuffy in here for my tastes. However, that _candle-flame_ is not entirely correct. I merely snuffed out those monsters that refused to serve me. Those who agreed still burn brightly in my Deck." The Shadow Hunter patted his pocket so that the hero and Guardians could see. "Pardon the puns," he snickered.

"I'll make ya pay fer dis, you snake!" Joey shouted, drawing his sword from his back. Looking expectantly at Ryushiro, the Guardian waited for his duelist to set the terms and conditions for the battle. It was a known law that Duel Monsters were forbidden from harming humans–even if provoked–outside of a Duel. Ryushiro nodded back, then called, "We'll play according to Battle City rules, at 2000 Life Points each. Sound fair?"

"Fine with me, Mr. President," the masked hunter grinned, finally removing his hood and face mask. "Johnson! I knew I recognized that oily voice from somewhere. But how did you get out of the virtual world? I thought Noah destroyed it!" Ryushiro asked, puzzled at Kaibacorp.'s former lawyer's return to the physical world.

"The same way Master Gozaburo did, by means of the arcane. But that's not important right now. Once I defeat you, the Shadow King will sentence you to a place from which there is no escape!" Johnson laughed, throwing off his black cape and activating his Duel Disk. "I shall go first, with your permission, Mr. President," he sneered with a sarcastic bow, drawing five cards from his deck. "I call 'Dragoness the Wicked Knight' [1200/900] to the stand, by tributing the necessary two monsters from my hand. End turn," he stated, raising an eyebrow at Ryushiro and adjusting his glasses.

"My turn! I summon Joey, the 'Flame Swordsman' [1800/1600] in Attack mode! Joey, attack his 'Wicked Knight' with 'Flame Strike'!" Ryushiro called, pointing at Johnson's fusion monster.

Joey was only too happy to obey. With one diagonal slash of his sword, Dragoness was rent from the right shoulder to the left hip and disappeared into the Graveyard. Red-orange flames were dancing all around Joey's blade, and Ryushiro noticed that it had grown slightly hotter in the volcano, as if Johnson's Life Points were connected to the temperature of the shrine. The lower his Life Points dropped, the higher the temperature rose. Johnson growled as his Life Points decreased to 1400, then drew a card from his deck and added it to his hand. "I sacrifice two witnesses, 'Guardian of the Labyrinth' [1000/1200] and 'Protector of the Throne' [800/1500] to summon the prosecution, 'Giltia, the Dark Knight' [1850/1500]!" Two shadows of monsters appeared for a moment, then faded as their cards were sent to the Graveyard. In their place stood a blond knight garbed in blue and green armor and wielding a large staff. "I think I shall let the defendant 'sweat' a little before I pass judgment. End turn," Johnson chuckled, clearly enjoying what he thought was Ryushiro's discomfort, but in reality was merely impatience.

Ryushiro rolled his eyes at the courtroom labels, then answered, "My turn. I summon Isis, the 'Mystical Elf' [100/2000] in Defense Mode," he looked back at the Guardian, who smiled, nodded, then knelt down in front of him and began to pray. "and I set one Magic/Trap card. End turn."

"Ha! I thought the first instance was a joke, but it appears that you have actually _named_ your monsters! I thought such childish actions were better suited for the brat, not the president, Seto-sama," Johnson laughed, and Seto merely frowned back in silence. "You call them your friends? Ha! You didn't even trust them with your real name! Giltia, attack the defendant's swordsman and lower his duelist's energy!" he continued, ordering his monster to destroy Joey.

As Giltia charged forward, Joey looked back at his duelist with a wounded expression, his pain-filled eyes clearly asking, _Is that true?_ The hurt eyes were the last thing Seto saw before Joey was eliminated and sent to the Graveyard. The loss of 50 Life Points hardly affected the dragon-warrior, even though the pain was akin to a knife wound to the heart. _I'm sorry– Joey. I should have told you. It was selfish and pointless anyway. Everyone knows who I am. There's no point in hiding it._ With a bit of moisture collecting in his eyes, he turned to Mana, who looked up. "I'm sorry, Mana, Isis. I should have told you the truth from the beginning."

"The prosecution does not rest yet, defendant! The honorable judge Johnson dismisses Giltia and calls 'Twin-Headed Fire Dragon' [2200/1700] to the stand!" Giltia bowed his head as he was sacrificed, a look of apology in his eyes as he looked at his opponents for the last time. Seto realized that the Duel Monster hadn't wanted to destroy Joey, but had had no choice in the matter. As the new double-dragon growled at its weaker, defensive opponent, its commander stated, "_Now_ the prosecution rests. The defense will now present its next argument," Johnson taunted confidently.

"Gladly. I activate 'Monster Reborn', and bring back my friend Joey, the 'Flame Swordsman'!" Seto answered, revealing his face-down card. On Seto's left, the Duel Monster reappeared, curled on his side in a fetal position. Looking around, he got to his feet, dusted himself off, and drew his fire blade once again. He was decidedly ignoring Seto, clearly still hurt over the deception. Seto averted his eyes and bit his bottom lip.

"Why would you bring back that useless monster? In case you haven't noticed, he's 400 Attack points short!" Johnson laughed, momentarily forgetting his 'courtroom jargon'.

"I'm not _done_ yet. Isis?" Seto asked, turning to the kneeling elf. When she met his gaze, he nodded. "It's time." The Mystical Elf also nodded, and a beam of golden sparkles arced from her form and transferred to Joey, who stretched and flexed at the influx of power. To Johnson's dumbfounded expression, Seto explained, "In case you haven't noticed, Isis has been reciting a prayer this whole time. That prayer–or spell, if you wish–allows her to increase the Attack strength of any monster by 500, and I chose Joey," Seto looked over at his friend and smiled, and Joey reciprocated with a smaller smile and a nod. "But that's not all," Seto continued. "To complete my strategy, I also summon 'Dark Magician Girl' [2000/1700] in Attack Mode!" Mana floated between Isis and Joey, and awarded each with a beaming smile of greeting. "Now Joey, destroy his two-headed dragon, and Mana, attack his Life Points directly!"

Joey nodded, dispatching the dragon with a jump slash. Mana frowned with grim determination, shooting a 'Dark Burning' attack at her opponent. She really hated attacking humans, but to save her world, it was a necessary evil. As Johnson faded away screaming like the others, the volcano grew nearly unbearably hot in a matter of seconds, the molten rock below the stone bridge glowing a golden shade of yellow. Sensing his friends' discomfort, Joey snapped his fingers. Immediately, a barrier-dome appeared over the area, and transparent tunnels surrounded the paths to four doorways out of the shrine, one for each compass direction.

Now that light had returned to the volcano, Seto saw that he and his friends had entered through the west door, and that the eastern door had opened for them. Everyone followed the Guardian of Fire out of the volcano, and stopped at the base to look at the peak. Seto saw that the column of flames had disappeared, and that the sky was a natural topaz-blue once again. "Yup. Jus' as it should be," Joey remarked, then he walked east a few paces and sat on a boulder, facing away from the group.

Seto took a deep breath and sighed, then walked over to where his friend sat and stood just behind him. "Joey– I–" he started, not really knowing what to say. "I'm really no good at this. My stepfather taught me to never apologize, even when you're wrong. But– I'm s-sorry, Joey, everyone. It was stupid and selfish of me to keep my true identity a secret. I was only thinking of my own safety when I hid my name from you guys, and it was pointless anyway. Every one of our enemies knows my name. Please accept my poor excuse of an apology, and know that I am truly sorry," he finished lamely, bowing his head.

Isis and Mana nodded right away, forgiveness in their eyes. Joey didn't rise from his position or turn around, but after a minute he said quietly, "Dat's okay, Ryushiro. I know why ya did it. I guess it just takes a while fer you ta trust people. I understand. Sorry I reacted da way I did."

"Nah. That's only natural. I should've told you from the start. So, are we– friends– again?" Seto asked, holding out his hand. Joey turned around and stood up to face his duelist. Then he gripped his friend's forearm, and Seto did the same. "Friends," Joey agreed, smiling.

Seto smiled, and the two boys walked back to where the girls were standing. "Oh. One more ting. Dat Johnson creep seemed ta tink dat our names were jus' part of a joke. Why _do_ ya call us by dose names anyway?" Joey asked as the group re-formed, the girls wondering about the answer too.

"Because those are your _real_ names. Every Guardian's soul is in fact a real person from my world. You can't remember that life because Keith erased your memories somehow. Once the Shadow King is defeated, it is my hope that everything will be normal again in the human world as well," Seto explained to the shock and surprise of his Duel Monsters. "That's why all of you have those strange nightmares and headaches from time to time. Your hearts remember a different life in my world, but your minds know only this life. It's– kinda hard to explain," he finished awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand.

Isis, Joey, and Mana all nodded anyway, indicating that they understood. Suddenly, the volcano began to rumble, and Joey shouted, "Hit da dirt! She's gonna blow!" The four of them ducked and curled into a ball to minimize the target. A large, white-hot piece of metal shot out of the peak of the volcano, then landed with unnatural precision squarely in the center of the traveler's circle.

"Wat's dis?" Joey asked after it had cooled, picking it up. "Oh. It's a piece a' yer armor, Ryushiro," he realized, handing it to it's rightful owner. Seto took the piece, then equipped it to his back. It was his backplate. Now he had regained three pieces of his dragon armor. "Ah– Joey? As you might have guessed, 'Ryushiro' isn't my real name. It's Kaiba. Seto Kaiba. You guys can call me Seto."

"'Seahorse'? Eh, I liked 'White Dragon' better. Ah well. Nice ta meet ya Seto," Joey joked, holding out his hand in a mock-introduction. Seto smirked and shook his head, but played along and shook his friend's hand again. Then Seto looked in the direction that the sun had risen and suggested, "Well, it looks like we're all done here. Let's continue on to the next shrine."

"Sounds like a plan ta me, Kaiba!" Joey agreed enthusiastically, following his duelist and friend as the four adventurers journeyed ever East.

* * *

><p>After hours of walking, Mana's feet were beginning to hurt, but she didn't say anything about it. She didn't want to burden the prince with such trivial matters as blisters. The sun blazed down on them from overhead, and Mana took her magician's helmet off and started fanning herself with it.<p>

"Whew! Why is Ra in such a bad mood today? It's like he's scorching us on purpose!" Mana observed, glaring in the sun's general direction. "I mean, we're on his side. Don't get mad at _us_! We're trying to save the world!" she shouted into the sky.

"Yellin' at da sun. Dere's a bright idea." Joey muttered to himself. Louder, he said, "Hey Kaiba, I tink Mana's got sunstroke. She's yellin' at da sky fer no reason!" Seto turned around and looked at the Dark Magician Girl. The Duel Monster was definitely showing signs of heatstroke, and was scowling at the ground now. "Hang in there, Mana. We're almost there, I can feel it." Seto assured, causing a small smile of relief to appear on the teenaged spellcaster's face. In a moment of childishness that was completely out of character for her, Isis grinned, "Come on, slowpoke! I will race you to the shore!" Then she took off, running ahead of Joey and Seto.

"Oh you're _on_, Isis!" Mana laughed, excited at the mention of a beach. Then she raced off into the distance as well. The boys followed at a slower pace, wanting to conserve their energy. At last they reached the beach, and the crystal-clear waters gently lapped against the pristine white sands of the shore. At least, that was how the boys would have liked to have described it. Instead, garbage and junk littered the beach, and when Joey inspected the waters, he found the normally-clear liquid to be murky and tainted with pollution.

"Ew. Look at what those pigs did to this place. One used to be able to see the underwater temple from here. Now I can barely see five feet!" Mana stated angrily, outraged at what the Shadow Hunters had done to yet another part of her home.

"Well there's only one way to fix this. Defeat the Shadow Hunter and save the Guardian," Seto explained with a sigh, removing his armor, shirt and shoes, and changing his pants into swim trunks. Mana and Joey gasped in dismay when they saw their friend's back, chest, arms and legs, but Seto just shrugged and waited for his companions to change as well. Mana ducked behind a huge boulder and reappeared a second later in a pink and blue one-piece swimsuit with a small pink skirt around her waist. Joey removed his helmet, then Seto changed his orange tasset to trunks. Joey then removed the rest of his armor and looked at Isis, who hadn't moved.

"What'sa matter, Mystical Elf? Not comin'?" Joey asked the elf.

"No, Flame Swordsman. I– I shall stay behind and guard your belongings until your return. I wish you all a safe journey and good luck." Isis answered, slightly pink in the face with embarrassment.

"Why don't you come along, Isis? We could use your help," Seto kindly invited, but the 'Mystical Elf' shook her head. "What's the matter? Shy about your swimsuit?" Mana jokingly teased her fellow Guardian.

"No, it's– it's not that," she answered with a red face. "I can't swim." she muttered, drawing in the sand with her bare foot.

"Oh!" Mana reacted with surprise, not expecting her friend's answer. "Um–"

Isis smiled and waved her hand. "It is fine. I will stay behind here and await your return. May Thoth guide you and may Amen smile upon you," she wished, kneeling down in a clear area of sand to pray. Her companions nodded, then waded into the water of the ocean and dove below the surface.

Seto squinted as the murky saltwater stung his eyes, and when he looked to his right, he saw that Joey and Mana were similarly afflicted. He concentrated his energy and summoned air pockets in front of his friend's eyes so that they could see. Mana grinned her thanks at him, then cast the same spell for her prince. Seto nodded in thanks, then the three continued to the underwater temple.

Just as Seto felt he was running out of air, he saw the temple a few feet in front of him. He signaled to his partners, then pointed to the doorway a few feet below them. The trio landed on the stone bridge, then walked through the bubble-like portal. As soon as the three made it inside, they found that it was completely dry inside the temple. However, the three travelers were still soaking wet from their swim. Joey dried his hair in the same way a dog would, shaking his head violently. Seto and Mana used spells to dry themselves off, then the three proceeded to the heart of the temple, where they knew both the imprisoned Guardian and Shadow Hunter would be waiting.

When they entered the next room–the main part of the temple–a disturbing scene was playing out before their eyes. Braziers burned with greenish-blue flames on every column, and an enormous bonfire blazed in the center of the room, the driftwood stacked over a large fountain. A short, gray-suited man sat in a golden throne, and beside him on his right was chained a kneeling Duel Monster slave that Seto recognized as 'King's Knight' [1600/1400]. The Duel Monster looked up as the three newcomers entered, but then returned his gaze to his enslaver, who had pulled the chain around his neck.

"Eyes on your master, slave!" the old man growled, brandishing a short whip in his left hand. The Duel Monster narrowed his eyes, but otherwise did not react to the threat. Seto, Mana, and Joey glared at the Shadow Hunter, disgusted at his actions of enslaving a Duel Monster, even a Guardian! "Akunumkanon," Seto breathed quietly, appalled that even a former _pharaoh_ of Egypt was forced into slavery by the Shadow Hunters.

Atem's father lifted his head once again, shocked that anyone would address him directly. This simple action was followed by a single lash across the knight's shoulders, and a bark of command. "Well don't just sit there, slave! Fetch something for our guests! I'm sure they are hungry after their long journey."

'King's Knight' stood slowly, then walked to the back wall and pulled a hidden lever. Almost at once, a fake wall sank into the floor, revealing a table adorned with a feast fit for a king. There were bowls and cornucopias of fruit, plates piled with vegetables, baskets of grain products, and platters of sea creatures prepared in an ornamental fashion. 'King's Knight' bowed his head and closed his blue eyes, and the three warriors knew that he had been forced to kill his fellow Duel Monsters to serve this Shadow Hunter.

"I appreciate your hospitality, 'King's Knight'," Seto answered politely, trying to contain his anger and disgust, and sympathizing with the enslaved Duel Monster. "but my companions and I refuse to partake in the consumption of our fellow Duel Monsters." Joey and Mana nodded in agreement, but then glanced back at Seto in confusion for a moment, thinking, _He considers himself a Duel Monster? I thought he was human!_

Akunumkanon nodded, then pulled the hidden lever again. "Besides," Joey added nervously, "we already had fruit scones fer breakfast an' lunch. So we're good." Mana nodded, affirming her friend's statement.

After a moment, the masked hunter stood to his feet and began to pace around the room. "So," he sneered, "I suppose you're here to challenge me to a duel?" he scoffed as he approached Seto. Seto didn't move at all, but continued to stare at the back wall, not meeting the hunter's eyes. "The thing is, I kinda like it here in this position the King granted to me. So I refuse your challenge," he stated smugly, sitting back down in his stolen throne and crossing his legs.

"Rule-breaker! The law set down by the Creator of the Domain dictates that once a challenge is declared, it cannot be refused under any circumstance! You have no choice, usurper! A battle must be waged!" Mana shouted, surprising her companions with her knowledge and ferocity.

"Oh, fine then!" Gansley growled back, removing his mask, then muttered under his breath, "Know-It-All." Mana simply frowned back at him, then readied her wand as her opponent activated his Duel Disk.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile–<p>

"Where did that blasted kid leave it?" Keith roared in fury as he searched the Kaiba Mansion for the hundredth time. "There's only one other place it could be, seeing as that brat lied to me. Kaiba must have it somewhere with him. That's the only explanation. The question is, where would he have hidden it? It wasn't on him when we captured them, so he must have hidden it somewhere, a place no one would think to look–" The card shark was already in a bad mood. Three of his Hunters had already been defeated and the Guardians freed. Seto was regaining his draconian strength bit by bit, and by the time he faced him at the castle again, he would be more powerful than ever–

No. He couldn't think that way. Victory is impossible if one considers all the ways one could fail. That overgrown albino lizard was no match for his power _then_, and Keith would only grow stronger over time. The Millennium Ring, Eye and Puzzle had granted him more power than he'd ever imagined, but it wasn't enough. He wanted more. He wanted complete control, wanted people to recognize him as the king he was. Once he'd exacted revenge on Malik for brainwashing and controlling him, and once he'd gotten rid of this new upstart, 'Ryushiro', then he would be the supreme, all-powerful ruler of the Dominion of the Beasts, and his glorious reign would last for a thousand years, for he was the Millennium King of the Shadows!

* * *

><p>At that moment, while Keith Howard was lost in his fantasies of the future, the deep-sea duel was approaching its crest. Both Dragon-Warrior and Shadow Hunter were down to their last 100 Life Points, at the end of a duel that had started at 4000. Joey was bravely defending Seto's Life Points, and Mana was awaiting an order to attack the monster before her, 'Humanoid Worm Drake' [22002000]. She and Joey had already defeated Gansley's 'Wall of Illusion' [1000/1850] and his 'Octoberser' [1600/1400], but not before the latter had managed to strike Seto with one of his poisoned spears. The poison restricted the victim's ability to breathe, so Seto was having a difficult time issuing commands to his Guardian monsters. On top of that the spear-wound hadn't stopped bleeding, and Seto needed to keep his right hand over his heart to stem the flow.

"Ac-activate Magic c-card," Seto whispered, barely able to speak the necessary words. "'Book of S-secret Arts'. It–"

"'It raises da Attack an' Defense strength a' any Spellcaster-Type monster on da field by 300 points'," Joey interrupted, saving his friend the trouble of wasting precious air on the explanation. "Right?" he asked, looking back at his duelist. Seto nodded with a weak smile of thanks, then Mana glowed with a bright, multicolored light as the spellbook increased her strength. At a nod from her duelist, Mana shot a powerful 'Dark Burning' attack at the slimy Fusion monster, and the overflow of power struck Gansley in the chest, causing the old man to double over in pain as his remaining Life Points decreased to zero.

As soon as the corporate businessman disappeared, so did the bonfire over the fountain. Without the flames to cover it, the structure once again produced a stream of crystal-clear water from its top. The shackles and chains that bound the 'King's Knight' also vanished, and the Duel Monster ran over to where Joey was supporting his liberator, who had lost consciousness from loss of blood and lack of oxygen. Akunumkanon immediately removed his cape, then bound it around Seto's wound, stopping the flow of lifeblood at least for a time.

"We have to hurry. Isis is waiting back up on shore. He won't last much longer down here," Mana worried, wringing her hands as Joey and Akunumkanon supported their unconscious duelist by his arms and carried him to the bubble-door. As soon as they left the temple, Mana conjured spheres of air around her companion's eyes and her own, so they could see the way to the surface. Akunumkanon used a bit of his own Guardian magic to temporarily transform his armor into a pair of golden-yellow swimming trunks. Slowly, the four made their way to the surface and the shore.

Two minutes later, Seto's wound had been completely healed and the poison had been removed from his body. However he still wasn't breathing. Just then, Mana's memory returned for a brief instant, and she asked sharply, "Does anyone know CPR besides me?" When her question was met with one head-shake and two looks of confusion, she sighed to herself, _I guess it's up to me._ With that, she plugged her friend's nose and breathed air into his lungs. Then she folded her hands into the proper position and started doing compressions, counting up to fifteen as she did so. On the fourth repetition of this process, Kaiba coughed and spat out a mouthful of water. When he was done, he laid down on his back with a weak, "Thank you, Mana," before falling unconscious again, this time from fatigue. The others decided to follow suit, as the sand was warm and the night was clear. The stars twinkled in the navy-blue sky, and watched over the four sleeping Guardians and young dragon-warrior, the heroes resting until the dawn of a new day.

* * *

><p><span>End of chapter 4<span>

Next chapter teaser: The Warring Plains, part 1: Circus of the Arcane

Heh. Fanservice! Joey and Seto shirtless! *wolf-whistles in background* Eh-heh, that wasn't me. [Silly muses.]

Keep in mind that CPR is a _lifesaving medical procedure_. It is not an excuse to kiss someone or to justify a pairing. I'm not shipping anything but Mizushipping (Seth and Kisara) and maybe a little Vaseshipping (Atem and Mana), so don't even think of this as Bokushipping (Seto and Mana). (That's also why I didn't use Joey. *shudders* Ugh. Yaoi.)

Amen is the Egyptian goddess of victory, as I've mentioned before in 'Brothers in Time'. I looked it up on Google. If it's not right, please tell me so I can correct it!

Well that's four down, seventeen to go. Good luck, guys! (Yer gonna need it!) [Heh. Han Solo quote.]

Oh, and Joey _can_ cook. It says so in the manga. (Somewhere.)


	5. Warring Plains pt 1: Arcane Circus

All right! So, this is the next chapter of Empire of Shadows, for which I know you guys have been waiting for a long time. I'm sorry for the late update, but school is a bear; A big, fat grizzly bear that just came out of hibernation. Well, enough of my complaining. As always, Read, Enjoy, and Review! (Seriously, guys, REVIEW! Even if it's just a 'Good story!' sentiment, I appreciate any feedback I can get!)

* * *

><p>Seto woke as the morning dawned, stretching his stiff arms and rolling up his sleeping bag. He glanced over at Joey, who had been sleeping right next to him, and chuckled a little at the Duel Monster's comical sleeping position. Beside him, Mana slept soundly as well, dreaming of happy things, judging by the smile on her face. Looking around, Seto noticed that Isis and Akunumkanon were already awake, reciting a prayer and sharpening his blade with a whetstone, respectively.<p>

"Ah, you are awake, my prince," Akunumkanon whispered, not wanting to wake their friends who were still asleep. Seto smiled at the royal Duel Monster, grateful for his help the day before. "I have been guarding something for you. It is time that I returned it," he remarked quietly, removing a piece of armor from his thigh that didn't quite match with his other armor. The King's Knight gave the piece to Seto, who thanked him with a nod and equipped the cuisse to his left leg. Almost at once, a power surge coursed through the dragon-warrior's body, and Seto knew that his strength had once again increased.

About an hour later, both Mana and Joey had woken up and everyone had finished breakfast. Seto tried a blueberry scone this time, impressed with his blond friend's culinary skills. After the group had packed up their campsite and stored their possessions in Mana's pocket dimension, they traveled toward the rising sun.

…

"Awright! Ya may be da hero dat's destined ta save da world, but yer gonna need some battle trainin' if ya wanna stand a chance against some a dese other Shadow Hunters." Joey remarked a while later to Seto as he and the rest of the group continued east from the beach, journeying to the next area where the Duel Monsters knew there were bound to be Shadow Hunters and imprisoned Guardians: the Warring Plains. This area had a reputation not unlike that of the Bermuda Triangle in the real world. Due to this, the travelers were apprehensive about their next destination.

"How am I supposed to do that?" Seto asked his friend, shooting him a confused look. "I don't have a sword. Well, I _did_, but one of the Shadow Hunters has it now. Knowing my luck, it'll probably be one of the last pieces that I recover."

"Don' sweat it, pal," Joey laughed. "We'll train wid wooden swords. I'm not too bad at whittling, so I'll make some trainin' blades fer us. If ya want, we can change our 'blades' inta real swords later in our training. But at da beginning we'll start wid wooden ones. You need some instruction in battle. And from what I know of duelists, deir world don' teach fencing anymore. Right?" the Flame Swordsman asked, turning to his friend.

Seto nodded. "That's true. Most of the world doesn't know of the ways of the sword. But I had a few fencing lessons when I was growing up. My stepfather wanted his successor to be well-versed in all aspects of life: artistic, athletic, academic, as well as business. I know the basics, but I'm sure I'll need more instruction than that. I would be honored if you would teach me," he answered, bowing.

"All right! Let's get started den!" Joey finished, tossing a fake blade to Seto. The prince caught it reflexively with his left hand, and the two warriors began their mock battle, one gauging the other's skill, the other trying to glean as much as he could from his opponent's movements. Mana, Isis, and Akunumkanon watched in awed interest as the two warriors displayed their skills with the wooden weapons. The boys continued to dodge, parry, and swing at each other's blades for hours, and couldn't help showing off just a little to their captive audience.

…

Around midday, the two warriors had finished their sparring session and continued traveling east to the plains. "Nice work, Kaiba," Joey praised as they walked. "I can tell ya got talent. Wid a li'l practice–'cause yer kinda rusty–I'm sure you could defeat almost any one of dese Shadow Hunters. Soon you'll be good enough ta take on da Shadow King, an' kick his sorry tail!" the Flame Swordsman laughed, clapping his friend on the shoulder.

* * *

><p>"So how far exactly do we have to walk, Joey?" Seto asked the blond Duel Monster after a few moments. The five had been walking toward the direction from which the sun rose, but they could see nothing but darkness, a darkness so thick that it seemed almost solid.<p>

"Eh, I'm not exactly sure. I _know_ da plains are around here somewhere, but I can't see anything through dis darkness. It's like someone cast a 'Yami' field spell over da whole place." Joey answered, removing his helmet and scratching his head, confusion his most prominent emotion at the moment.

"Fear not, my companions," Akunumkanon interjected, causing everyone to turn around and look at him. "We are surely headed to the Warring Plains, and it is not too far now. However, we must be on our guard. Many of the Warrior-class Duel Monsters reside here, as well as thieves and other disreputable beings. The Warriors only recognize strength as the final authority, no matter how much of an eloquent leader one might be. I feel that we will remain here for a while, before we are able to continue in our quest."

Seto nodded, turning back to look at the wall of darkness that loomed before them through the narrow mountain pass just ahead. _If that's the case, then Mana and Isis won't be much help in this land. Akunumkanon and Joey are both Warrior-type monsters, I think, and I'm a duelist. These monsters should listen to _me_._ Seto thought to himself as he considered the former pharaoh's words. _Still, I wonder what's causing this darkness. It's barely four hours past noon, and the sun is still above the western horizon. What's going on?_ He continued musing to himself as he and his allies ventured forward through the pass and into the anomalous blackness.

As the dragon-prince stepped onto the Warring Plains, he couldn't believe the scene before his eyes. The area was swarming with Shadow Hunters, some robed and masked, some not, but all looking like they were enjoying themselves in some twisted pleasure, crowded around fenced areas that were confining some unidentified beasts. Large tents made of various multicolored fabrics dotted the landscape, and chained Duel Monsters outfitted in ridiculous costumes were being forced to cartwheel around and in general act like total buffoons. As the five travelers entered the encampment, a shackled 'Peten the Dark Clown' [500/1200] greeted them with a bow and sweep of his ostentatious hat, just as he would normally do when summoned into battle. But Seto could tell that the monster's heart was not in the greeting. As if to prove this, two shining tears ran down the masked clown's face, and Seto put a sympathetic hand on the entertainer's shoulder. "Don't worry. We'll put a stop to this," the prince stage-whispered to the bound Duel Monster. As the group entered the circus, Peten's eyes glimmered with an emotion he'd not felt in a long time: Hope.

The five travelers made their way to the center tent, where they expected to find the next Guardian. Seto was surprised that none of the Shadow Hunters had noticed and apprehended them yet, but when he looked back at Mana, he answered his own question. Her staff was glowing with a faint pink light, and Seto noticed that he and the others appeared somewhat transparent. _She must be casting an invisibility spell over us. Good thinking, Mana!_ he praised. As they passed the fenced-in circles and the Duel Monsters trapped inside them, Seto grimaced in disgust and pity. The things the Duel Monsters were forced to do to entertain these– Seto couldn't even think of a fitting name to call the Shadow Hunters, so great was their depravity.

Finally they reached the center-most tent, and Seto assumed one of his many masks to hide his true emotions. A tumultuous roar of male and female voices rang out from all around the Big Top, and Seto was faced with a crowd larger than any he'd ever seen. The hooded, robed and masked spectators cheered and pointed up toward the apex of the tent. Seto glanced upward and saw a young woman in a ringmaster's outfit walking on her hands on a tightrope half a mile above the ground. The woman wore a red top hat and a green-and-black harlequin over her face. She had long, dark purple hair that was pulled back into a ponytail, and her suit was red. _Have I seen this performer before? She seems familiar._ Seto thought to himself as he studied the masked acrobat.

Suddenly the woman in question flipped onto her feet and stood on the rope to survey her audience. When she spotted the newcomers, she grinned. _Ah, fresh meat._ Out loud she called, "It appears we have a few new guests! Welcome to 'Cirque d'Ésotérique'! I am Pandora, your Mistress of Ceremonies. Allow me to greet you properly!" With that she flipped off of the high wire and somersaulted and swung down the flying trapeze and rings to land with inhuman grace in the center ring, not one hair out of place.

"Whoa." a surprised Mana muttered to herself, impressed by the strange woman's flexibility. Beside her, a wide-eyed Joey nodded, too dumbfounded to speak. The ringmistress held out her right hand in greeting and a skeptical Seto shook it, not expecting such politeness from an elite Shadow Huntress.

"Allow me to introduce my handsome assistant, the 'Dark Magician' [2500/2100]!" Pandora called, gesturing grandly to a doorway behind her, out of which walked Mana's Dark Magic teacher, his blue eyes cold, lifeless and hard, void of any emotion whatsoever. "Master–" Mana gasped as Mahaad took his place at the right hand of the Shadow Huntress, refusing to believe what she was seeing. The Dark Magician had heard her gasp, but no sign of recognition sparked in his eyes as he surveyed his former student and her companions. He turned his blank gaze to his mistress, who gave him a single signal in the form of a nod. Mahaad nodded and bowed once in understanding, then left through the doorway from which he came.

"What have you done to him?" Mana cried, shouting at the smirking ringmaster. "What happened to my master? Answer me!" she screamed, flying at the performer in a rage. Seto stopped her as she flew past him, putting a restraining hand on her shoulder. "Calm down. We all know how you feel. If you attack, you'd be playing right into her hands." At his words, Mana landed softly on the ground and bowed her head in submission, knowing that the prince was right.

"Aww, what a pity," groused the acrobat. "I was really hoping for a volunteer for my next trick. Ah well. I suppose my assistant would be more than willing to participate." she smirked and clapped her hands twice, sending an unknown signal to her associates behind the scenes. A pack of 'Dream Clowns' and 'Crass Clowns' flipped and jumped out of the doorway behind her, pulling and pushing a sarcophagus-shaped box that was supported in an upright position with chains and steel rods. Seto recognized it as the trap card 'Dark Renewal'. _What's she planning to do with that?_ he wondered to himself. Behind the sarcophagus, more devices made their way to the center of the arena, all of them looking like instruments of torture.

"And now the moment you've all been waiting for, the main attraction: 'The Tragedy of Ryushiro'! This will be my opponent's greatest and final masterpiece on the stage of his life! Bring out the 'Wheel of Torture'!" Pandora cried, throwing her hands up in the air. As if on cue, the audience started clapping, stomping, and chanting to a drumbeat: "Wheel of Torture! Wheel of Torture! Wheel of Torture!" Mahaad emerged from the back doorway, pushing a giant multicolored wheel to the center ring, then he untied it and set it up, displaying it for the crowd to see. Then he walked up to his master and stood at her side, his arms folded behind his back.

"Thank you, my assistant," Pandora purred, and the magician nodded humbly. She then summoned a Duel Disk out of thin air and slid her deck into the appropriate slot. Seto looked to his left and right, and nodded to his companions to prepare themselves for the impending battle.

"We'll start at 4000 Life Points each and play according to Battle City rules. Sound fair?" Seto called to his opponent, knowing the painful consequences of his proposal.

"Sure. Why not?" Pandora laughed, activating her Duel Disk. "Let's duel!"

Just as the duel started, the Dark Magician disappeared from sight with a startled look of confusion, despite the spell he was under. "Hey! What happened to master Mahaad? He's gone!" Mana cried, searching frantically for the other magician.

"Oh don't worry. You'll see him soon enough, my friend," Pandora laughed. Then she drew a card from her hand and set it on her Duel Disk. "I summon 'Crass Clown' [1350/1400] in Attack mode! Come on out, my clown!" The nightmarish creature that appeared was beyond description, even though 'a roundish humanoid creature balancing on a ball while brandishing a baton' was as close as Seto could get in his mind. "And now I will set a face-down card to protect my monster. Your move, Kaiba!"

Seto called forward the newest addition to his ever-expanding group of friends–the 'King's Knight' [1600/1400]–in Attack mode. Akunumkanon was vastly superior to Pandora's clown, but her face-down card proved an incalculable risk for the Guardian.

As if she had read his mind, Pandora gloated, "Go ahead, strike down my monster! Those who cannot defend their monsters do not deserve them. Come, let me show you that I am worthy!"

"You're just trying to scare me, but I'm not buying it," Seto stated confidently, rolling his eyes.

"The mind of a magician is unknowable." she retaliated with a hiss, the corners of her mouth drawn up in the fiendish grin of a woman who had traded away her soul and her sanity in exchange for power.

"I'm sorry guys, but I can't take this risk and possibly allow you to be destroyed while I don't have Monster Reborn in my hand." he apologized to his companions. "I end my turn by placing one face-down card on the field!" Seto muttered, reciting the necessary spell to summon the card image in front of him.

Pandora threw her head back in a fit of roaring laughter, which was devoid of any of the feminine grace she had displayed on the high wire. "I knew that your sense of obligation toward your monsters would keep you from attacking. Now it's my turn, and I will show you exactly what these pathetic monsters are good for! They're not to be treated with kindness, but to be used as weapons! In a game of Duel Monsters, the _duelist_ holds all the power. Power is not a shield that protects the weak, but a weapon that only those who are worthy may wield!"

"Now you're sounding like that magician, Arcana. He also thought of his monsters as disposable tools. Which did not end well for him, as I recall."

For the first time since they had entered the tent, Pandora's smile withered and what little of her face that was visible below the mask turned a ghostly white. "You _dare_ to mention him in my presence?" she whispered in disbelief, her voice increasing in volume as she spoke. "You of all people, you, Seto Kaiba– You, who knows better than anyone else that it was _your_ accursed tournament that set the stage for his death, you _dare_ speak ill of him in front of his only _sister_?"

For a moment, everyone stood still in complete shock. "His sister–" Isis repeated, stunned by the revelation.

After a few more seconds, Kaiba tried to explain the true story of Arcana to Pandora. Apparently, the magician had spent all those months of plotting his revenge on Marik in hiding, without contacting his family or anyone else he knew. Much had happened since then. After Marik's death, Kaibacorp. had payed for state-of-the-art plastic surgery to restore Arcana's face, and after that he had traveled all the way back to Europe, where he had planned to apologize to the love of his life. But all of that had happened after Pandora had joined forces with 'Bandit' Keith Howard and his gang, which had left her brother with no choice but to set off for France without telling his sister. Pandora, alas, did not believe Kaiba. The hatred she felt–which had grown and festered for so long–left her blind to reason. Only the death of those responsible could quench her thirst for destruction at this point.

Pandora continued the game by switching her 'Crass Clown' into Defense mode, forcing Kaiba to return 'King's Knight' to the waiting area behind him, leaving him open to an direct attack. "While my Clown remains in Defense mode, another artist shall take the center stage–come on out, 'Witty Phantom' [1400/1300]! His monster is gone, now deliver the pain!" The tuxedo-wearing fiend struck with precision, and 1400 of Kaiba's Life Points were lost. _Ugh, now I hate that phantom even more._ Seto thought in pain as his life energy twisted itself out of his back.

As Seto's Life Points decreased, the Wheel of Torture began to spin, finally landing on choice #4, the 'Magic Box'. All of a sudden, Mahaad reappeared from limbo, just in time to float back into a tall box with doors marked with question marks. Seto had seen this trick many times before, and he knew that Mahaad would be all right. However, one thing still bothered him. _What is he replacing himself with?_ His question was soon answered for him, as double-edged swords rained down from the air and drove themselves through the box and stuck out the other end, red lifeblood staining their tips and shafts. Through the box, all who were present could hear the Guardian's muted cry of pain, and the Duel Monster shattered and was sent to the Graveyard as the Magic Box disappeared into nothingness.

"What have you done to him?" Mana cried, horrified at what she had just seen and heard. The audience of Shadow Hunters cheered and applauded at the tortuous display, and Pandora took a bow. "Oh don't worry, he's fine," Pandora smirked to the irate spellcaster, then announced to her audience, "Now if I may direct your attention to this ornate sarcophagus, my assistant will return from beyond the mortal coil! Come on out, Dark Magician!"

Just as she said, the sarcophagus opened and Mahaad returned to hover by his master's side as if nothing had happened. However, Seto could see that the magician was watching his mistress with distrust and pain in his eyes, clearly questioning her sanity.

Kaiba was far from beaten, however. He had deduced by now that his opponent's face-down card was most likely nothing more than a feint, and Seto Kaiba had never been afraid of a simple decoy. He used his 'Cost-Down' trap card in order to summon Joey, the 'Flame Swordsman' [1800/1600] in Attack mode without having to offer one of his friends as a tribute. Pandora's monsters were clearly outclassed, and a mighty swipe of Joey's burning blade turned her 'Witty Phantom' and 400 of her Life Points to ashes. As her Life Points decreased, so did her life energy, and purple, sparkling threads twisted out of her back and floated up to the top of the tent.

Despite Kaiba's momentary victory, Pandora quickly managed to turn the tide of the game on her next turn. By playing 'Soul Exchange', she sacrificed her rival's 'Flame Swordsman' along with her own 'Crass Clown' in order to bring forth her best monster. "And now it is time to dispose of these pathetic monsters! Phantoms and clowns are beneath me. I prefer to perform alongside true professionals– like him: the _real_ 'Dark Magician'!" Seto could only watch helplessly as one of his best friends was dragged down into the Graveyard, his life sacrificed to summon the powerful spellcaster.

The man that appeared from Pandora's card certainly resembled Mahaad in his attire, but was garbed in dark red instead of purple. His long, straight hair was a light gray, and his eyes were dark-blue. He was quite a bit more tanned than his brother Dark Magician, and he appeared to have black scars under his eyes, not unlike Seto's dark side had.

"Since I played 'Soul Exchange', I am not allowed to mount an attack just yet. It doesn't matter, though. I've been observing your progress through this world– Four monsters, that's all you've got! And none of them can match my Dark Magician! You cannot win. Ah, revenge tastes so sweet. 'The troupe is ready, the stage is set, we're here to dance the dance of death'," Pandora mused as she ended her turn.

"Spare us your ramblings, Pandora. I know how you felt when you thought you'd lost your brother forever. I have a brother myself, and he's waiting for me to rescue him as we speak. What you lived through, however, does not make up for your blatant sadism and cruelty. You threw away your own humanity for revenge. That's pathetic," Kaiba explained coldly. "And that is why you're going to lose. For what you have done to my friends, much shall be avenged this turn! First I play 'Monster Reborn' to bring back my friend Joey, the 'Flame Swordsman' in Attack mode, and then I am going to play my magic card, 'Fiend's Sanctuary'! It summons a token, which I will tribute immediately to activate my face-down card– 'Enemy Controller'!"

"NOOOO!" Pandora screeched, but to no avail– her monster was taken from her, leaving her completely defenseless.

"Now Joey! Red Dark Magician! Attack this phony performer and end this duel!" Seto called. Joey was only too happy to obey, and Pandora fell to his 'Flame Strike' and her own Dark Magician's 'Dark Magic' attack.

"No! How could I lose like this?" Pandora shrieked as her Life Points ticked down to zero. "It's impossible!"

"You know what they say, Pandora. 'A magician never reveals his secrets'!" Seto answered, raising an eyebrow at the gibbering duelist. Beside him, Mahaad reappeared and wagged his index finger at the ringmaster, just as he had once to Kaiba so long ago in Duelist Kingdom. As the defeated ringmaster disappeared in the shaft of red light, the throngs of Shadow Hunter spectators crowded around the group of six heroes, intending to subdue and capture them. Thinking quickly, Mahaad cast a 'Non-Aggression Area' trap shield over himself and his liberators, and the group left the tent to the outside world.

As soon as they stepped outside, the Big Top tent vanished like a mirage in the desert, and in its place stood an impressive-looking temple that Seto instinctively knew was dedicated to the study of Dark Magic. A dark aura that resembled the 'Yami' field card surrounded it, but it did not appear menacing like it had before. "My friends, I thank you." Mahaad expressed, relief in his turquoise-blue eyes. "Not only have you freed me from the spell, you have also restored my sacred Academy of Dark Magic. I am forever in your debt, my prince." the spellcaster bowed, and knelt on one knee before his liege. Seto nodded, and indicated that it was nothing.

"Master–?" Mana breathed as soon as Mahaad got to his feet. Glancing at his former student, Mahaad smiled and allowed her to embrace him in a hug. Tears of joy ran down from the female magician's emerald eyes, and Mahaad had to wipe away a few of his own. "Thank you, Mana." he stated simply, returning the embrace.

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><p>After a few minutes, the travelers had reached the edge of the fairgrounds and Peten bowed low to them with a flourish, removing his hat in respect and thanks to the dragon-prince. Seto nodded again with a small smile, and the clown laughed and flipped backwards into thin air. "I guess he an' his friends're free now. Nice work, Kaiba!" Joey surmised, putting a comradely hand on Seto's shoulder.<p>

Just then–as the six friends looked to the east–the sun rose from beyond the mountains, and from somewhere far away, a Niwatori could be heard crowing, greeting the morning. Behind them, the Academy of Dark Magic shimmered and vanished as the darkness fled. Mana gasped as her master's school disappeared, but Mahaad smiled calmly. "Do not worry. My academy only appears on the night of the new moon. It will appear again when the moon grows dark."

Their fears assuaged, the company decided to rest for a few hours before continuing on. As the Duel Monsters sat down to rest for a while, Mahaad removed a silvery piece of armor from his right leg and handed it to Seto. Now the dragon-prince had both his left and right cuisse, which left sixteen more pieces to reclaim. After their rest, the heroes would turn north to their next destination, the Battle Arena.

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><p><span>End of chapter 5<span>

Next chapter teaser: The Warring Plains part 2: Battle Arena

Yay! I have my friend Vicus (formerly Araghast) to help me with the duels again! Great job as always with this one!

Poor Mahaad. Why must I always torture my favorite characters?

Seto, Seth, and Mahaad: Good question– *glare at author*

Me: Eeeep! I– ah– had to make it interesting for the readers?

I know, lame excuse. But the Shadow Hunters are EVIL! I had to establish that fact!

Joey's right, Seto needs to learn how to battle without spells and cards. *grins knowingly* He'll need it in the future!

Well, that's all for now. On to chapter six!

Elementianhero22/

Tsunami Storm


	6. Warring Plains pt 2: Battle Arena

Here I am! Bearing the next chapter in this HUGE project. Sorry for the late update. Writer's block again. Ah well. Enough excuses and my babbling. Read, Enjoy, and Review!

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><p>"Where could mister Kaiba and master Mokuba have gone?" Roland agonized to himself as he paced from one end of his foyer to the other. "They have been missing for nearly a week! I fear they have been captured like all those other poor souls," he worried, dabbing at his temple with a white handkerchief. "Masters Seth and Noah and Miss Kisara have not returned either. Oh– oh dear me–" the man moaned as he continued his frantic pacing. Just then, the telephone rang, causing the bodyguard to jump three feet in the air. He quickly recovered, then answered the communications device.<p>

"Hello? This is the 'Roland' residence, Isono Roland speaking."

"Oh, hi. This is Malik Ishtar. I'm glad I finally reached you." Malik replied, sighing in relief. "You're Kaiba's bodyguard, right? Could you tell me where he is? I really need to talk to him. It's about his brothers and sister."

"I wish I could tell you, but I don't know where mister Kaiba is either. He and master Mokuba just– vanished without a trace five days ago," Roland answered, silent tears flowing from behind his black sunglasses. "What is your news concerning master Seth and the others?" the worried bodyguard demanded, fearing the worst.

"Well I wish I could tell you more," Malik sighed. "My family and I were supposed to meet them at the Great Sphinx to tour the pyramids, but they never showed up. Did they return to Domino without telling anybody or something? –Hello? Is anyone there?"

_"Hello? Roland? Hello?"_ the phone was swinging from the receiver by its cord, where it had fallen from nerveless fingers. _It's worse than I'd feared. Master Seto's whole family has disappeared. Just like all the others._ In a daze, he returned the hanging phone to its receiver, unintentionally hanging up on a confused Malik.

_Something is very wrong._

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><p>"Ugh. Look at this place," Seto observed in disgust. "It's completely lifeless, like a desolate wasteland!" he continued, scanning his surroundings with eyes full of pity. Thin, brittle branches of bone-dry trees snapped off in the lightest breeze, and dust blew in tiny whirlwinds across the landscape. A tumbleweed bush crossed the path of the six travelers, and skeletons of unfortunate animals dotted the barren plains.<p>

"The arm of the Shadow King reaches far, and a curse falls upon every area that it passes over." Mahaad stated sagely and sadly. Ever since he had been freed from Pandora's spell, the magician had been pensive and nearly silent, speaking only to answer a direct question. Even then, he would answer only when no one else could, and use as few words as possible. He would surreptitiously study the prince, averting his gaze when Seto would look back at him. _This man is an enigma. He appears to be human, but bears an incredible power no normal human could ever possess. What could it mean?_ the spellcaster thought, crossing his arms across his chest.

Ahead of him, Seto was also thinking. _Because I'm fused with Blue-Eyes, does that mean I'll live as long as a dragon would? I can't bear the thought of outliving my family and friends. And that water from the Fountain of Life– because I drank it, does that mean I'm now– immortal?_ Seto shuddered at the thought. On the one hand, he would be a powerful dragon-warrior, able to protect his friends and family from any danger. But what would happen when everyone he knew was dead?

_I guess I'll live here._ Seto resolved._ Timaeus, Hermos, and Critias seem to manage. And Mana and Mahaad lived this way for five-thousand years. Who knows? Maybe after another five millennia, one of Mokuba's descendants will find a way to release my spirit._ As Seto considered these thoughts devoid of hope, his own countenance turned hopeless, and his blue eyes dimmed.

"My prince? Is something wrong?" Mana asked, concern in her eyes and voice. Seto started, jolted out of his defeated musings, and answered, "No. I'm– fine. Nothing– nothing's wrong."

_Liar._ Isis shook her head to herself, sensing the prince's turbulent emotions battling just under the surface. This calm façade was merely a mask, a barrier thin as rice paper between his strong outward appearance and the terrified, confused, overwhelmed teenager within. She carefully placed a gentle, calming hand on the despairing warrior's shoulder, silently communicating to him that everything would be all right.

Through all of this, Akunumkanon knew exactly what was going on, but Joey remained clueless. "Hey, guys, why da long faces? You'd tink somebody jus' _died_ or sometin'," the Flame Swordsman laughed nervously.

"No Joey. It's not that someone _did_ die, but rather that someone _can't_ die. Ever." Seto answered grimly after a minute of uncomfortable silence. "And that someone– is me."

Seto's comment caused everyone in the group to gasp aloud. "But–but I thought dat you were _human_, Kaiba!" Joey stammered, completely nonplussed. Seto turned slowly to face his friend, and when he was eye-to-eye with the Guardian of Fire, Joey saw that the fearless duelist had tiny tear droplets in his eyes. Casting his gaze to the ground, Seto slowly shook his head.

"He's a hybrid, a human that has merged body and soul with a Duel Monster." Mana realized with a gasp, remembering his question to her just after they had restored the Fountain. Behind her, the Dark Magician nodded, indicating that his apprentice's assumption was correct. "I've never seen anything like this," she breathed, her emerald eyes bright with curiosity as she studied her friend.

"Dark Magician," Isis whispered, catching the tall spellcaster's attention. "You have experience in these matters. Perhaps you can assuage our prince's doubts, and prove that his fears are unfounded."

"Yes, but how to broach the subject? I do not wish to cause our prince any more pain than he already feels." the Guardian whispered back, concern in his light-blue eyes. Before he could begin to approach him though, the dragon-prince commented dejectedly, "I guess everybody here knows about my– problem. What do you think about it, Mahaad?"

Mahaad cupped his chin and looked thoughtful for a moment. Finally he answered, "In your case, the fact that you are still human works to your advantage. As you may already know, the Water of Life only works on _true_ Duel Monsters, in that it grants us immortality. For you, it will at the very most increase your strength temporarily. As far as I know, no permanent effects of the water of life will stay with you."

Seto sighed with relief, the huge burden on his heart lifted somewhat. "And what about my dragon powers? Will I live as long as those dragons in legend?" the prince asked, apprehensive again.

"Well as I said before, you are still human and as such are subject to the limitations of humanity. No offense." the magician added with a somewhat-abashed grin. Seto simply shrugged and motioned for the Guardian to continue. "Therefore concerning your unique situation, I would say that you will live slightly longer than the average human–to about 100 years of age–but you will retain the strength of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon until the day that you leave the world of the living." Mahaad explained to the young warrior. Seto could hardly believe what he'd heard, and had to try hard to keep from collapsing to his knees in relief.

However, there is a drawback to all of this." Mahaad continued, causing Seto to tense up again. "As you grow and progress, you will notice that your ability to transform will become more difficult. Even if you wear your sacred armor, you will feel the pain of the transformations more and more every time you change. It will cause you no injury, but the pain will make it seem so."

Seto nodded in understanding, remembering the second time he had transformed from human to dragon. Giant white wings literally tearing themselves out of his back– Seto shook his head to clear his thoughts. "If a little pain is the price I must pay for my family and friends' safety, then so be it. It's worth it."

"Spoken like a true, noble hero." Mahaad nodded, smiling.

By this time the company of six had traveled so far east that they could no longer see the mountain pass through which they came. Nor the mountains themselves, for that matter. Far away to the north, the sound of faint cheering could be heard. Seto could barely make out a faint, blurry structure in the distance. As he had regained his armor piece-by-piece, his strength and senses had grown sharper as well, though they were nowhere near their full capabilities. The group decided to travel north to ascertain the mysterious source of the cheering.

As they neared the anomalous structure after hours of walking, the six companions found that they could distinguish sounds other than the tumultuous cheering that grew louder with every step. Deep roars of apparently gigantic creatures reached the group, as well as faint, clearly human cries of agony. Upon hearing these, the travelers raced toward the enormous structure with all speed, forgetting their weariness and sore feet for the moment. If Seto had to describe the structure before him in one sentence, he would have said it resembled a completed Roman Colosseum, only this one was at least ten times the size.

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><p>When they finally entered the monstrous arena, the cheering from the throngs of people was so loud that Seto had to cover his ears. The scene that was playing out in the center of the arena was as the stuff of nightmares. Crosses of wood were staked around the edge of the arena, and to the crosses were nailed the limp forms of defeated Warrior-type monsters. Every second cross was aflame, to light the arena as the Roman Colosseum was in ancient days. In his studies as a boy, Seto had learned that the Romans had martyred Christians in this manner, using their burning bodies as light sources for their twisted entertainment, among other horrors. In the box where the Roman Emperor would have sat, there instead lounged a completely-relaxed Rex Raptor, garbed in a black toga and crowned with a gold laurel instead of his usual red hat. Some female Warrior-type Duel Monsters were acting as his slaves, fanning him with fans of peacock feathers and waiting on his every whim.<p>

Seto's eyes flashed with anger at this display, but it was nothing compared to the main event taking place in the epicenter of the ring. A gigantic dinosaur that Seto recognized as 'Black Tyranno' [2600/1800] was literally tearing its opponents apart, mercilessly slaughtering Warrior-type monsters with its massive, bloodstained jaws and razor-sharp teeth. Back in the 'emperor's' box, Seto noticed with a gasp that 'Master Monk' [1900/1000] was chained to a steel block just behind the dino duelist, forced to watch as the warriors of whom he was guardian were being massacred.

"Akunadin," Seto breathed, empathizing with the trapped Guardian. Even though he knew that this monster was Rock-type instead of a Warrior-type, the spirit within was a warrior if there ever was one.

"This has got to stop." Akunumkanon growled, also glaring at the Shadow Hunter that had imprisoned his 'younger' twin brother. Although he and all the other Guardians had been made to forget their past lives and relationships to one another [mostly], King's Knight still felt a strong connection to Master Monk, as if he somehow sensed or faintly remembered the connection between them.

At this point, Rex looked over and spotted the newcomers that had entered the arena. _Ah, perfect. Another victim eager to get stomped by my destructive dinosaurs–_ He stood up from his throne, waving away the annoying servant girls that had been attending him. Theatrically raising his hands above his head, he cried in his rough voice, "Citizens of the Dark Kingdom, I bring you the next production of entertainment in this glorious stage: I present to you our challenger, none other than the White Knight himself: 'Ryushiro', also known as the once-great Seto Kaiba!" he mocked, laughing at the ridiculous name Seto had chosen for himself. As he pointed to the challenger and his companions, five rays of sunlight shone on the group from the heavens, causing Seto's armor pieces to sparkle and shine magnificently.

When everyone noticed the dragon-prince, the remaining Warrior-type monsters knelt to one knee in respect, while the dinosaur merely paused in confusion and the crowds and Shadow Hunter jeered. Ignoring the laughter and derision around him, Seto descended the stone staircase nearest him and vaulted over the stone fence that surrounded the arena. Raising his right palm toward the colossal Tyrannosaurus Rex, he immobilized the stunned dinosaur with a well-placed 'Spellbinding Circle'. Turning to the enraged false emperor, Seto called, "I challenge your 'emperor' to a battle of Duel Monsters. By the laws of this realm, you have no choice but to accept my challenge, you cowardly snake!"

"I'm no lousy snake! I'm a dinosaur!" Rex roared, standing on the balcony of his special box. "Fine. If that's how you wanna play it, then bring it on 'hero'!" he leaped from the box and vaulted into the arena, just as Seto had done. Vaguely, Seto thought to himself, _Hmm. He's gotten a bit taller since the last time I saw him–_ but then was pulled from his musings as his opponent approached. As Rex activated his Duel Disk, Seto called, "We'll play according to Battle City rules, at 4000 Life Points each. Okay?"

"Fine with me, dragon-boy!" Rex hissed back nastily, still sore about the 'snake' insult. "I'm gonna start this off by playing the Spell card 'Pot of Greed'! Everyone knows what this does by now, so I'll just go ahead and draw my cards, one of which just happens to be 'Polymerization'! I unite my 'Trakodon' [1300/800] and my 'Flame Viper' [400/450] to create the primeval monstrosity 'Pragtical' [1900/1500]! I will also summon another one of my unstoppable dinos in face-down Defense position. Since I can't stomp you just yet, I'll place one card face-down and end my turn!"

Kaiba found himself faced with an enormous purple dinosaur, which, despite moving on four legs rather than two, was probably a formidable hunter. Its movements betrayed great strength and its sharp, needle-thin teeth as well as the protruding spikes that covered its skin bore witness to its carnivorous nature. Still he remained calm, at least on the surface. His companions were few, but all were vastly superior to Rex's 'Pragtical'.

"My turn!" Seto called confidently. Mentally reciting the necessary incantation, he continued, "I activate the spell, 'Ancient Rules'! This card–among other things–allows me to summon my 'Dark Magician' [2500/2100] without a sacrifice." At his words, Mahaad walked forward to the proper place in front of his duelist, lowering his staff threateningly at his Jurassic opponent and smiling grimly.

When he saw this, the dinosaur duelist broke into a fit of hysterical, high-pitched laughter. "You fell right into my trap, Kaiba! Activate 'Paradox Fusion'!"

Almost at once the purple dinosaur's form began to wither in a cold, colorless light as it slowly faded from existence.

"Uh– what exactly was that supposed to do? It's your own monster that's about to disappear!" Kaiba inquired in confusion.

"That statement's not quite accurate, Kaiba. My 'Pragtical' leaves the field for an entire two turns, but at the same time it allows me to destroy your special-summoned monster. Bid farewell to your new 'friend' Mahaad! And now that your turn's over, I'll switch my 'Tomozaurus' [500/400] to face-up Attack mode and summon yet another one of my terrible Jurassic beasts: Come forth, 'Sabersaurus' [1900/500]!"

The beast that materialized from the surface of Rex's card resembled a light-red triceratops, but its eyes burned orange with anger and hatred. As it pawed the ground, anxious to attack, the razor-sharp blades on its shoulders, head and tail gleamed in the midday sun. "Now my Triassic terrors, attack Kaiba's Life Points directly and show this upstart how ferocious dinos can really be!"

Seto grit his teeth and winced as 2400 points of his life force was drawn out of his back and twisted itself into the air beyond recall. After Seto had regained his breath, Mahaad turned to his duelist and communicated mentally, _My prince, cast the spell 'Silent Doom' after you have recovered, and place its effect on me. Do not worry for my safety, I will be fine._ Seto nodded, and cast the appropriate spell, frowning as its magic surrounded the noble spellcaster. "Mahaad– are you sure you want me to go through with this?"

"As I am now, I will be useless to you, my prince. After all, I've grown practiced at sacrificing myself in order to protect those I love. Just be sure to cast 'Monster Reborn' before or after this duel is over, so that I may continue to lend you my power. Mana," he turned his head to make eye contact with his former apprentice and friend. "I bequeath my powers to you. Use them wisely!" With that, the Dark Magician disappeared in a flash of golden light, out of which stepped Mana, her attack elevated to 2300. Seto called, "Now I attack with my 'Dark Magician Girl' [2(3)00/1700]. Mana, destroy his 'Tomozaurus' and decrease his Life Points as well!"

Mana was only too happy to oblige, considering that this Shadow Hunter's spell had made her master's most recent sacrifice necessary. The giant lizard roared in pain as it exploded and was sent to the destination of all defeated Duel Monsters: the Graveyard. Rex growled as his Life Points dropped to 2200, but he recovered quickly and set two cards in his Magic/Trap slots.

"Is that all you've got, Kaiba?" Raptor sneered, activating his two face-down cards. "I activate the magic cards, 'Shield and Sword' and 'Burial from a Different Dimension' to recall my mighty 'Pragtical' back into the fray!" The purple lizard materialized and growled menacingly at its new opponent, licking its lips with a forked tongue. "Now, my 'Pragtical', attack Kaiba's 'Dark Magician Girl' and reunite her with her precious master in the Graveyard! 'Sabersaurus', attack Kaiba's Life Points directly!"

Mana screamed as the purple lizard defeated her with one sweep of its long tail, and she too was sent to the card Graveyard. The giant triceratops thundered across the field and rammed its head into Seto's chest, the blades piercing his shoulders as easily as a hot knife through tallow. The dragon-prince cried out in agony as the blades tore through muscle and bone, rendering both of his arms useless. In response, his life energy dropped to 900 points, rendering the already-injured warrior nearly breathless.

Joey and Isis moved to try to help their wounded friend, but Akunumkanon held them back, reminding them that Duel Monsters that have not been called into battle cannot interfere. Both of the younger Duel Monsters slowly nodded their heads in reluctant understanding, and continued to watch the fierce battle in trepidation.

Still breathing heavily and gritting his teeth, Seto managed, "I ac-activate the s-spells, 'Monster Reborn' and 'Spell Reproduction', t-to bring back– my two spellcasters– the Dark Magicians." Immediately both magicians reappeared in a shower of light-blue sparks, and both Mahaad and Mana leveled their magic staves at the two dinosaurs on their opponent's side of the field.

"Mahaad– Mana– At-attack," Seto commanded weakly, barely managing to stand up straight. The Guardians seemed to realize the necessity of speed, and both shot powerful 'Dark Magic' attacks at the enormous reptiles, bringing their master's Life Points down to 1500. "I s-set one card in f-face-down position. End turn," Seto concluded, mentally reciting the necessary spell to summon a trap, just as Mana had taught him.

"Hmm. You're not looking so good, Kaiba. Do you need a break?" Rex teased, earning himself a glare from the injured warrior. "Well too bad! I activate 'Fusion Recovery' and 'Leading Question', bringing my 'Pragtical' back to the field with a new Attack power of 2700!" As he said this, his Life Points decreased to 700, a fact that did not go unnoticed by his opponent. "Now my supreme dinosaur, attack Kaiba's 'Dark Magician' and end this duel with a victory for your emperor!"

The giant lizard roared in obedience, then started to charge at the tall spellcaster. "I don't think so!" Kaiba called suddenly, his energy miraculously returned. "I activate my trap, 'Shrink'! This card makes your already-pathetic lizard even _easier_ prey for my magician! Mahaad, counter-attack!"

Mahaad grinned and leveled his staff at the still-charging monster, which was now half its original size. With a swift well-placed 'Dark Magic' attack, the monster was frozen in its tracks, then exploded into thousands of shards and disappeared to the card Graveyard.

"No! My dinosaurs! How could you?" Rex shrieked, sounding almost girl-like as his voice shot through three octaves. Mana had a hard time containing her laughter when she heard this, but she managed to concentrate on her current task, healing Seto's left shoulder while Isis healed his right. This process took no time at all, and as Seto got to his feet, he remarked as Rex disappeared like his cohorts, "–and so ends the Mesozoic Era." he smirked as the Shadow Hunter audience disappeared and the Colosseum changed shape before their very eyes. When the transformation was complete, the Roman amphitheater resembled a gladiator's arena, and the defeated and tortured Warrior-type monsters returned from oblivion and celebrated, hoisting their six liberators onto their shoulders, rejoicing in their freedom from oppression.

As the sun descended below the western horizon, Seto and his friends were invited to spend the night in the barracks, as thanks for their deed earlier that day. The six travelers accepted gratefully, happy to sleep in real beds for the first time in a week. Exhausted, Seto fell asleep immediately after removing his armor, his hand resting on his newly-reclaimed greave, which he would equip to his left leg on the morrow. His last thoughts before falling asleep drifted to his younger brother. _Soon, Mokuba. Very soon I will have freed all of the Guardians–our friends–and return to the castle to defeat Keith and rescue you as well. Good night, little brother._

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><p><span>End of chapter 6<span>

Next chapter teaser: The Warring Plains part 3: Moon Guardian

–Whew! Done!

I was gonna post this two days ago, but I just couldn't finish it in time. Oh well. Happy Birthday, Seto!

Seto: "–Thanks."

Me: What's wrong with you? Is this because I made you get hurt again in the duel? I'm sorry. I'll try not to do it again.

Seto: Yeah right. At least you ended it on a happy note.

Me: I _love_ happy endings. How could I not?

Anyway, it seems our dragon-prince is a little bitter today. Oh well. Thanks again to Vicus for helping me with the duel. Couldn't have done it without you, my friend!

¡Hasta la vista, mis amigos! (y amigas!)


	7. Warring Plains pt 3: Moon Guardian

Hi! Miss me? This took a LOOONG time, didn't it? Well, blame _me_ for the difficult duel that I asked my co-writer to write. It's not Lichtenhammer's fault. That being said, ON with the chapter! Read, Enjoy, and Review!

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><p>Sigh. <em>I hope Seto's okay–<em> Mokuba thought worriedly as he paced in his stall in the castle stables. His right hind leg had been shackled to the back wall, which was made from immobile stone blocks. On his left foreleg hung a strange metal bracelet that kept him at the strength of a normal human teenager. That is, a human teenager who hadn't eaten for almost two weeks. Mokuba's human stomach growled loudly, and the young centaur flushed in embarrassment. His other equine companions, 'Firewing Pegasus' [2250/1800] and 'Gaia the Fierce Knight's horse [2300/2100] looked out of their stalls in a moment of curiosity, but then dipped their heads below the half doors, losing interest.

Suddenly the stable door creaked open and a shaft of glowing sunlight penetrated the shadowy darkness of the building. A tall figure crept in silently, followed by a slightly shorter woman with six white wings. _'Wingweaver' [2750/2400]–_ Mokuba thought to himself as he recognized the angel-like Duel Monster. In her slender arms, she was trying her best to hide a single red apple from sight, but Mokuba smiled when he glimpsed the fruit through a gap in her arms. When the winged Duel Monster handed the boy the apple, the centaur bowed as low as his horse half would allow and thought, _Horakhty bless them. They would risk their own safety– for _me_._

"'Silent Swordsman' (LV. 7) [2800/1000], Wingweaver, I can't thank you enough. You both risked your lives for this. I– don't know what to say–" Mokuba trailed off, going red again, but his eyes were still shining with boundless thanks. Wingweaver nodded and flew off with a smile, and Silent Swordsman put a comradely hand on the teen's elbow–which was as high as he could reach–also leaving with an encouraging nod. After they had left, Mokuba took a large bite out of the juicy fruit, reveling in the sweet, tart taste. He finished the apple within ten bites, then wiped the evidence off his mouth with the back of his hand. Feeling a burst of energy, the teen gasped. _Must've been from the apple–_ he reasoned. Nervously surveying his surroundings to make sure no one was looking; he carefully retrieved a small item from the thick mane behind his back and held it almost reverently in his hands.

Clicking back the small button on the edge, Mokuba opened the locket that held a small picture of a ten-year-old Seto as he was playing a game of chess at the orphanage. Mokuba smiled sadly, then closed the locket and held it close to his heart, as if he were hugging the object. _Seto– be safe._

* * *

><p>Two weeks later–<p>

"Wow! Da moon is huge tonight!" Joey exclaimed, looking up at the night sky. Following his friend's gaze, Seto looked up at the full moon, observing the truth in Joey's statement. The lunar body provided so much light that it was as bright as the day. Isis and Mana merely nodded, speechless in their awe of the gigantic celestial orb.

"Hey, what's that?" Seto asked after a minute, studying a tiny, odd anomaly in the distance. "Wat's _what_?" Joey reciprocated, staring in the same direction, but seeing nothing. "It's hard to make out, but I think that there's some kind of _temple_ on the surface of the moon," Seto answered after a minute.

"Wow. You can see that?" Mana exclaimed in amazement. _The prince's dragon armor must not only gradually improve his strength, but his _senses_ as well. Incredible._ Suddenly a ray of moonlight beamed from the celestial body and connected to the ground, creating a circle of light in the distance to the north of the heroes' makeshift campsite. As soon as the beam appeared, Seto felt a gentle tug near his heart, urging him to travel in that direction. As he voiced this suggestion, the two magicians wordlessly packed up the campsite, storing the sleeping bags in Mana's pocket dimension. Then the company of seven made their way to the ring of light.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile–<p>

"Let go of me!" Hana cried as the Orichalcos-powered beasts stretched out her arms and legs. She bravely bit back her cries of pain as her joints cracked from the pressure. If this torture continued, she would be ripped apart. Literally. She struggled futilely in the monsters' grip, but the mindless monsters merely growled and pulled harder.

"Aw– poor princess." Keith drawled, fingering a sharp dagger lovingly. "I really _hate_ to do this to a member of a royal family," the card shark sneered, the statement in complete conflict with the wide grin on his face.

Despite her pain, Hana snorted. "Yeah right. You're enjoying every minute of this, you sadistic fiend, and you know it. Don't bother with the lies," she spat, contempt burning in her green eyes.

"You got me," Keith surrendered, holding up his hands in mock-defeat. "However, I _may_ be willing to offer a trade. Your freedom– for information," he purred slyly, eyeing the former adopted princess of Egypt with greedy eyes. "Come on princess. Just give me a few answers, and I'll let you go."

Hana sighed and hung her head in seeming defeat, muttering, "You win. The answer you're looking for is 1.77245–"

Keith slapped his captive across the face, cutting her lower lip in the process. "I don't want the square root of pi, you stupid wench! I need to know where the Rod is!" he cried, glaring at his surprisingly-calm captive.

"I'm impressed that you actually knew what that was." Hana observed under her breath, her insolence earning her a lash across her already-bleeding back. "I'll never tell you anything." she continued. "Torture me all you want, but you'll never get any information out of me. I would _never_ betray my friends." she stated loyally, audibly clamping her mouth shut for emphasis. This only served to anger the already-enraged Keith even more. He snapped his fingers, and the four monsters restraining Hana's limbs pulled harder. With four simultaneous, sickening cracks, both of Hana's arms and legs were dislocated from their sockets, causing the young woman to cry out in agony.

"I'll ask you One. Last. Time." Keith snarled through his teeth, grabbing the barely-conscious girl by the hair and pulling back, forcing her to look at him. "Where. Is. The. Rod?" he demanded in a deadly whisper, his voice and body shaking with anger.

Hana set her jaw and didn't move a muscle, merely continuing to stare at the irate card shark in contempt. "I'll die before I tell you anything about my friends, and I would go willingly to the deepest circle of _Hell_ before I betray my family."

Despite his wrath, Keith had to admit that he sort of admired the young woman's courage. He was one of the most powerful men in the world, with an army of monsters and beasts that were ready to act on his every whim. Still scowling at the resistant girl, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the Millennium Eye, then pressed the symbol of Wdjat to the center of Hana's forehead. The Item burned its mark into her brow, and Hana grit her teeth and shut her eyes, unable to hold back tears of pain as the symbol was permanently branded into her skin.

As the Item continued to burn its mark into the front of her head, it glowed with a golden light and pulsed like a tiny heartbeat. As it pulsed, the smoke coming from Hana's forehead formed into wispy characters that spelled out two simple words. '_The Dominion_', it read. After the smoke had faded away, Hana hung her head in shame, knowing that she had betrayed her friends, and endangered their very lives.

"There," Keith mock-consoled, patting Hana's head patronizingly. "That wasn't so hard, now was it?" Turning his back on the now-unconscious Hana, Keith commanded, "Toss her into the portal. She's a feisty one, but with a little attitude adjustment–" he allowed himself a small chuckle as he played with a memory-bracelet, "She might make a good personal slave."

* * *

><p>When the gang of heroes reached the disc of light, they stopped to rest for a few minutes, tired after their long hike to this place. Mana and Joey both took off their boots and promptly flopped down with a sigh of relief. After a minute, the other five sat down as well, following their friends' example. Just as Seto had sat down on a smooth flat boulder, he felt a sudden urge to travel into the center of the area illuminated by the moonbeam. His eyes glazed over, and his sapphire-blue irises took on a frosted appearance. Slowly he stood up from his makeshift chair and began walking toward the beam of white light.<p>

"Hey, Kaiba, where're ya goin'?" Joey asked in confusion, but he received no reply. Mahaad and Akunumkanon attempted to restrain the dragon-warrior, but were repelled by a 'Mirror Force' trap that Seto had unconsciously cast around himself. He wordlessly stepped into the ray of light, then vanished into darkness as the moon disappeared behind a cloud.

"Oh no! This is terrible!" Mana cried, darting back and forth in a panic. "Seto's– the prince has been abducted by aliens!" she shrieked quietly, losing her head completely. Beside her, the Dark Magician sweatdropped at his former apprentice's ludicrous assumption. "Logic _is_ panic's prey..." he muttered to himself before placing a calming hand on the spellcaster's shoulder. "Don't worry, Mana. I am sure that Seto will be fine. You have trained him well in the art of magic. He should be able to hold his own against all but the most powerful foes."

"Yes, but how is he supposed to battle without _us_?" the Dark Magician Girl continued, wringing her hands feverishly. "A duel cannot be won by spells and traps alone!" She paced back and forth at a frantic pace, making Joey dizzy just watching her.

"It is difficult, yes, but not impossible, Mana." Mahaad stated enigmatically, a mysterious gleam of mischief shining in his topaz eyes as he tipped Mana's helmet to the side playfully. She scowled in mock-annoyance, but then smiled as she righted it again. As she did this, Mahaad stated, "Fear not, my friends. I have every confidence that the prince will defeat his foe and return to us safely."

* * *

><p>"Ha ha! It worked! It really worked!" the portly Shadow Hunter cried happily, surveying his latest captive with a gloating expression on the half of his face that could be seen. "And what do we have here? I never thought that I would capture the 'White Knight' in my trap. Well, this is very interesting. My master will be so pleased when I defeat you!" Lumis crowed, thoroughly enjoying the moment. "Nice work, my slave! Now release him. He should be easy enough to beat without the use of his monsters."<p>

As he said this, a shadowy figure appeared from Seto's back and returned to his wielder's side, his white hair blowing as if in a non-existent wind. The creature was pale, robed in a cloth of sky-blue, and half of his form was shrouded in darkness. From out of the creature's back grew two wings, one like that of an angel–white like the snow–and the other like that of a demon, leathery and black as pitch. Seto groaned after he was released, putting his hand to his temple as a wave of dizziness swept over him. Recovering quickly, he glanced upward and stepped back a pace in shock. _Ryou!_ his mind screamed at the sight of the figure before him.

Seeming to hear Seto's mental shout, Ryou raised his head to look at his opponent, his normally brown eyes completely white, devoid of any pupils or irises. Unnerved by this unusual sight, Seto backed up another step, unsure of what to do for his friend and current Guardian of the Millennium Ring. He glared at his opponent, who was still giggling at the fact that his scheme had actually worked. "And now White Knight, I shall destroy you for the sake of all of my confederates, and most importantly for my partner Umbra! With no monsters to defend you, this battle should be mere child's play!" Lumis crowed, activating his Duel Disk and grinning maniacally at Seto.

Seto merely set his jaw and glared silently back at his opponent, rifling through his monster-less deck and selecting all the spells and traps that he would need. Momentarily glancing at the enslaved Guardian, Seto thought grimly, _Don't worry, Ryou. I _will_ free you from this madman, even if it costs me my life. If I fall, my friends will continue the quest in my stead and free the rest of the Guardians and my brother._ Bearing these admittedly less-than-comforting thoughts in mind, Seto called over to Lumis, "We'll start off at 4000 Life Points, playing according to Battle City rules. Agreed?"

Lumis snickered and sneered back with a sinister smirk, "Fine with me. I hope you've said your prayers, 'cause after this battle, you'll be face-to-face with your Maker!"

"We'll see," Seto retorted, a look of calm determination on his face and righteous anger burning in his eyes as he waited patiently for his opponent to make the first move.

"I will make you prove yourself!" Lumis cried as he drew five cards for his hand. "It's been a while since we battled on top of that skyscraper in Battle City, but this time I will show you what I am truly capable of! Meet my 'Winged Minion' [700/700], in Attack mode!" Lumis declared as he played his first card, a grotesque, bald, miniature demon with diminutive fangs and underdeveloped bat wings.

"Oh come on, you'll need more than a ridiculous fiend in a loincloth to scare me," Seto scoffed. "I play my card, 'Graceful Charity'!" Kaiba declared. After removing two cards from his hand, Kaiba played two cards face-down and ended his turn. His trap cards were the only thing he could put as a defense between his Life Points and whatever Lumis might use to attack.

"Two can play at that game!" Lumis gloated, as he played his 'Pot of Greed' in order to draw two additional cards, before he went on: "Since I'm almost completely sure that at least one of your face-down cards is capable of halting my monsters when I attack, I'll now introduce you to one of my favorite monsters: Come on out, 'Pitch-Black Warwolf'[1600/600]!" Kaiba had seen a lot of grotesque and revolting creatures in his many years of dueling, but even he couldn't deny the uneasiness that crept up his spine at the sight of the black, skeletal, winged wolf that walked on its hind legs, its eyes glowing like brimstone. The monster's howl rang in Seto's ears and he could smell the creature's foul breath.

"Not only is my new monster pretty strong, its special-effect also keeps you from playing any trap cards at the time of my attack! Now in the name of death and decay, pestilence and plague, attack him directly, my servants!"

Kaiba scowled at his own helplessness as the two underworld monstrosities charged at him with their claws and teeth ready to strike. Kaiba's Life Points dropped to 1700 after the attack had finished.

"I think I've done enough damage for one turn, don't you? It's your move, Kaiba!" Lumis grinned over at his seemingly struggling opponent.

Seto merely rolled his eyes, then called out, "It's almost over for you, Lumis! First I use 'Soul Exchange' on your 'Winged Minion' so that he's mine to tribute. And here comes my 'Crush Card'! By tributing your monster, I can destroy every powerful monster with 1500 Attack points or more on your side of the field or within your deck!"

With a satisfied grin, Kaiba watched as Lumis grudgingly sent more than half his deck to the graveyard. The shadow duelist had clearly been planning to capitalize on Kaiba's lack of monsters by completely overpowering him with strong creatures. "That's not all," Kaiba continued. "For now I'll use 'Monster Reborn' to revive your 'Warwolf' on my team and use it to attack your Life Points directly, bringing your Life Points down to 2400! Then I end my turn."

Lumis retaliated by savagely playing 'Fissure' in the opening of his turn, destroying his own 'Pitch-Black Warwolf' and leaving Kaiba once again without the means to defend his own Life Points. "When you played your 'Crush Card' and forced me to discard those strong monsters from my hand, you made a mistake. One of those monsters has a special effect that will turn it into a true nightmare for you! All I have to do is say farewell to two cards from my hand. So go back to the shadows, 'Memory Crusher' [1000/600] and 'Melchid, the Four-Face Beast' [1500/1200]! Now come forth, 'Fabled Soulkius' [2200/2100]!"

What emerged from the dark warp-portal looked fairly human to Seto at first. A tall and muscular man appeared, with exposed forearms and wearing an old-fashioned black jerkin, together with vintage trousers and heavy boots, all of which were adorned with golden ornaments. If Kaiba had to guess at the figure's time period, he would have assumed the newcomer to be an Italian noble from the sixteenth century. Then the creature stepped into the light and its leathery black wings came into view, as did its long bulky tail, which thrashed around with tremendous force.

"Come 'Soulkius'! The winds of death call you forth! Attack with your 'Void Scream' and bring down his remaining Life Points!"

The foul beast opened its grinning mouth wide, far wider than humanly possible, and let out a bloodcurdling, tormented howl. Its scream thundered through bone and flesh, manifesting itself in the form of fiery waves. Kaiba did not waste any time with futile attempts to cover his ears, but rather revealed his remaining face-down card with a tight grimace. The effect of 'Negate Attack' formed an ethereal shield in front of the duelist to block Soulkius' screams and protect his Life Points.

Even from the shadow of the duelist's cloak, Kaiba was able to see the disappointed scowl on Lumis' face as he was forced to end his turn. He knew that this was going to be Lumis' last chance to turn the duel in his favor.

"I begin this turn by playing 'Fiend's Sanctuary' in order to summon my 'Metal Fiend Token'. Now I sacrifice my 'Metal Fiend' for the effect of my spell card 'Enemy Controller' in order to gain control of your 'Fabled Soulkius'!" Seto declared impressively, magically delegating the appropriate cards to the Graveyard after they were used.

"Most impressive, Kaiba. But as glorious and cursed as he may be, Soulkius has only 2200 Attack points! Even if you attack me now, I will still retain 200 of my Life Points and live to finish you during my next turn, when Soulkius returns to my control!" Lumis scoffed, shaking his head and grinning like a madman.

"Whoever said that I was going to attack using your Soulkius _alone_? Your monster is not the pure and noble creature I'd had in mind."

"What exactly are you getting at, Kaiba? You're alone! You don't have any other monsters you could summon instead! My faithful servant, 'Change of Heart', made sure of that! Look at you, so weak and helpless, yet still thinking you can win this duel without your precious friends!" Lumis roared with laughter as Seto merely stood there calmly and confidently, completely sure that his strategy would give him victory.

"Had it not been for your cowardly tactics of separating me from my companions and your dishonorable strategies, this duel would have been over within a single turn, so wipe that stupid smirk off your face! You have underestimated me for the last time, and now you will pay for that!" Seto cried, gesturing grandly at the nonplussed Shadow Hunter.

"Behold the power of my supreme monster, the 'Blue-Eyes White Dragon'! But my method of summoning him isn't the one you're thinking of. In fact, this tactic has never been used before in the history of the Shadow Games!" Seto declared, closing his eyes and mentally preparing himself for the action. _Thank you Noah, for giving me the base for this idea with your 'Deck Master' rule._ Then he concentrated his power and started to transform his appearance, right before the eyes of a dumbfounded and slightly horrified Lumis.

Seto bravely and silently endured the pain that came with the transformation, as he had not yet regained all the pieces of his dragon armor. Slowly his form became sheathed with silvery-white scales and plates, his hands and feet turned to dragon claws, and white wings grew from his back, transforming his backplate into the back of a dragon. From the base of his spine grew a dragon's tail, which curled around his right leg, and at his left side materialized a sword and scabbard that crackled with White Lightning. He slowly and silently drew his blade and stepped onto the dueling field, standing next to Lumis' former monster, 'Fabled Soulkius'. Together, demon and Dragon-Warrior looked pretty menacing to the now-gibbering Shadow Hunter, who was regretting ever joining up with Bandit Keith and the Rare Hunters under Marik.

Silently, the dragon-prince nodded to 'his' other monster on the field, and Soulkius prepared itself for the final attack on its master. Without warning, Seto looked up at Lumis and addressed him directly. "I realize that my current power is nowhere near that of Blue-Eyes yet, but 720 Attack and 600 Defense points–coupled with the strength of your Soulkius–is more than enough to defeat the likes of you! Now brace yourself Lumis, for soon you will find yourself face-to-face with _your_ Maker!" Seto threatened, using Lumis' own words against him. Then he grasped his Sword of White Lightning with both hands, unfurled his wings and flew at the hapless Shadow Hunter, Soulkius mimicking his actions beside him. Soulkius opened its mouth to release another 'Void Scream', and Seto moved his sword over his shoulder to prepare for a diagonal downward slash.

In the space of mere milliseconds, the final attack was over and done, and Seto and Soulkius found themselves on the other side of Lumis, their opponent paralyzed with shock at his defeat. Surprisingly, Seto's attack had had no effect on Lumis' physical body, but his Life Points ticked to zero all the same. _Strange,_ Seto thought. _It's as if I became incorporeal the instant that my attack connected with him. It must be part of the magic of this realm. No monster can physically harm a human in battle outside of a Shadow Game, not without dire consequences._

As Lumis disappeared in the now-expected red circle of light, Seto sheathed his blade and nodded his thanks to 'Fabled Soulkius', who nodded back and faded from sight as the duel ended. Seto looked around at his surroundings for the first time, as he had not had the opportunity when he was first brought here. _And this must be more magic at work. I can breathe on the moon._ he observed. Now that he was closer, Seto saw that the temple he'd noticed earlier was actually a ruin of its former self. He shook his head in disapproval at the desecration the Shadow King and his followers had caused, then took a deep breath, sighed, then set to work rebuilding the temple brick by brick.

By using magic to speed up the process, the rebuilding project took only an hour and a half and Seto stepped back to admire his work. As he removed the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand, he surveyed the rest of his surroundings and jumped when he saw something that had materialized behind him, but relaxed when he recognized the familiar face. Ryou Bakura's warm brown eyes smiled back at him in thanks beyond words, but Seto shrugged, waving it off as nothing.

The prince and Guardian stood staring at the restored temple for a few moments in companionable silence, but then Ryou began to shift uncomfortably in place. Seto looked over at him questioningly, wondering what the matter was, and Ryou answered, "There's no way to get back to the Dominion of the Beasts without _some_ type of wings. I'm sorry about this, but– would you be okay with me– controllingyouagain, just until we get back to your friends?" He said the middle part very fast, but Seto caught the meaning of the question despite that.

"It's okay, Ryou. I don't blame you for what Lumis made you do. As for getting back, I'm okay with your suggestion. Just don't stay in there _too_ long, or I might start charging you rent." He said this with such seriousness that Ryou gave him a horrified, 'deer-in-the-headlights' look, but then he saw Seto's expression, looking like he was on the verge of laughter. The two boys chuckled at Seto's teasing comment, then merged their forms with Ryou's effect to return to their waiting companions.

* * *

><p>Speaking of whom–<p>

"Where could he be?" Mana wailed, pacing back and forth, wringing her hands frantically. Joey had long-since given up on watching his friend wheel about, not wanting to give himself a headache. Mahaad merely studied the starlit sky pensively, concentrating on the white lunar body before him. He was also vaguely paying attention to his young apprentice, and smiled in concern as Mana paced frantically. _She really is worried about him. I wonder– could Mana and the prince have been friends in that other world that he spoke of? Apparently, _all_ of the Guardians are from that world including myself, –but I have no memory of that place, wherever it is._

After a short pause, he thought to himself, _Or maybe–_ the Dark Magician smiled and raised an eyebrow at this new, intriguing notion. _Could their relationship possibly be _more_ than friendship?_ Then he shook his head. Seto had never shown any sign of liking Mana in _that_ way, subtle or otherwise. Done with his matchmaker fantasies, Mahaad resumed his contemplation of the moon, echoing Mana's question, as well as the question in the other Guardian's minds: _'Where could the prince be?'_

The duelist in question was currently about a mile south of the campsite, as the moon had moved while the duel had been fought on its surface. As soon as Seto's feet had touched the ground, Ryou had promptly vacated his host and hovered slightly behind his liberator, grateful for the rescue but also embarrassed about what he'd done to precipitate the duel. Seto felt the Guardian's mental self-flogging and laid a gentle hand on the two-toned angel's shoulder, who flinched slightly at the contact. "It wasn't your fault. You couldn't help it, so forget about it, okay?" Seto comforted, smiling at the now-sheepish Guardian. Ryou smiled meekly at the consolation, then nodded and followed quietly as Seto led the way back to the camp.

* * *

><p>Back at the campsite–<p>

"Mahaad, two strange beings approach from the south." Akunumkanon cautioned, causing the Dark Magician to ready his staff for a blast of Dark Magic. As the beings neared the gathering of Guardians, a familiar voice called out, "Hey! Don't shoot! We come in peace!"

"_Seto_?" Mana squeaked, hardly daring to believe her ears.

"Of course it's me! Don't tell me you guys have forgotten me already?" the prince joked as he and Ryou passed through the protective barrier the magicians had cast around the camp. "I've freed the Guardian of the Moon. Guys, let me introduce–or rather, _re-_introduce you to Ryou Bakura, better known to you guys as 'Change of Heart'." Ryou bowed meekly as the six other Guardians voiced their warm greetings. "Welcome to da team, pal!" Joey grinned, clapping their newest member on the back and accidentally pushing him forward several feet.

"Oops! Sorry 'bout dat!" Joey laughed, as Seto shook his head and smiled, remembering what had happened the last time Joey had greeted someone with a pat on the back. Ryou then turned to the dragon-prince and addressed the duelist shyly. "Um– I forgot to give this to you earlier, my prince. I am sure you will need it." He then bent down and unclipped Seto's other greave from his right leg, and returned it to its rightful owner. Seto accepted the armor piece with a nod of thanks, then clipped it onto his own calf. _Only fourteen more pieces to go,_ he thought to himself. _We're getting there, slowly but surely. Hang in there Mokuba, I'm coming._

* * *

><p><span>End of chapter 7<span>

Next chapter teaser: The Warring Plains, part 4: Storm

We're almost done with the Warring Plains, and then we finally get a change in scenery! Bet you guys are happy about that!

Seto: Yeah, I was kinda getting sick of the same boring landscape.

Me: Well, good news! At the end of the next chapter, you'll be moving on!

We find out what's been happening with me in this chapter. Ouch. Now I've got a permanent burn right in the middle of my forehead. Guess I gotta start wearing a headband or something.

I know I said before that I wouldn't be doing any Bokushipping, but I thought it would make a good plot point. At this point in the adventure, it's mostly one-sided. (Aww, Mana's got a slight crush on her duelist!)

HUGE thank-you to Lichtenhammer for writing this challenging duel. I know I always say this, but I couldn't have done it without you! Really!

I'll bet there's one question burning in all of your minds: Where in the worlds is the Millennium Rod?

Elementianhero22/

Tsunami Storm


	8. Warring Plains pt 4: Storm

The Warring Plains, part 4: Storm

* * *

><p><em>CRASH!<em> The noise of the thunder was so loud that it hurt Seto's ears as the travelers made their way across the barren plains. Lightning lanced across the sky and sometimes connected with charges from the ground. Fortunately the three spellcasters had had the foresight to cast a magical barrier to protect the group. Looking around, Mana commented, "I've never seen an electrical storm so fierce, even when the dragons ruled in the mountains. There is something very wrong here." she shivered, the tremors having nothing to do with the temperature. Isis put a comforting hand on the magician's shoulder, and Mahaad smiled at his apprentice sympathetically.

"Steady, Mana. We'll fix this area, just like all the others. And then maybe we can _finally_ get out of this barren wasteland." Seto commented with a sigh. He was sick of the grass-less plain, the land flat as far as the human eye could see in any direction. He missed the rolling hills and high mountains of Japan, as well as the beach where he and Mokuba used to go on warm summer days. His dragon instincts also longed for the tall peaks of mountains. In fact almost _any_ scenery was better than this.

"I have a feeling you won't be here much longer, so don't worry yourself, Ryushiro." a female voice sneered from above them. Seto looked up so fast that he accidentally cracked his neck, and from his companion's reactions, he guessed that some of them had done the same. Joey was scowling and rubbing his neck, and Mana and Ryou were rubbing their abused vertebrae as well. The others were staring at the sky, where an enormous sphere of concentrated lightning was slowly descending to the ground. The ball appeared to be acting as a lightning rod, attracting opposite charges from both the clouded heavens above and the barren earth beneath. A dry skull of some unfortunate animal lay two feet from where the dragon prince stood, and it literally exploded when a charge of negative energy struck it.

At last the orb of electricity reached the ground, and the excess charges channeled harmlessly into the earth. In the center of the singed area knelt a figure with a simple hood, no cape, no mask. The figure wore a black and gray kimono decorated with blood-red crimson, sickly yellow-green, and white jagged shafts, giving the appearance of lightning. The figure stood fluidly, slender arms and legs showing through open areas of the fabric.

The figure suddenly tore off her hood with an extravagant flourish, exposing her face to all that were present. She threw the hood to the side and faster than any human, monster, or even dragon-eye could see, pinned it to the nearest tree with a Chinese fan, fifty feet away. It was this action that gave away the Shadow Huntress' identity. She was Vivian Wong, a participant in Seto's KC Grand Prix tournament nearly two years ago. She had been an impressive duelist with an eye for the boys, but had been defeated by the young American genius Rebecca Hawkins.

Although Seto recognized the graceful duelist, and knew that she was one of Keith's Hunters now, there still seemed to be something off about her, something that made her different from their previous opponents. Her unique hairstyle was the same, and her skills with fans certainly hadn't diminished. Still there was something about her that was not right, but Seto couldn't place it.

Suddenly Vivian snapped her fingers and a barbed spear appeared in her left hand, a coiled electro-whip in her right. Seto recognized the spear as the one wielded by 'Dark Witch', a favorite monster of Téa Gardner. With a jolt, Seto realized, _Could _Téa_ be the next Guardian that we're looking for? Could she be the Guardian of Storms?_ He looked back at his companions, and Isis nodded, answering his unspoken question.

"Ah, so the infamous 'Ryushiro' is none other than the world-famous Seto Kaiba!" Vivian squealed when she finally caught sight of her opponent's face. "I never expected to see _you_ here!" she giggled, sounding like a love-struck schoolgirl to the dragon-prince, who merely rolled his eyes.

"Cold and indifferent as ever, I see." Vivian observed, feigning hurt and twirling her electro-staff expertly. Ignoring her comment and seductive eyelid-fluttering, Seto asked the Shadow Huntress, "What happened to the Guardian of this place? Is this cursed storm your doing?"

"Why yes. I'm glad you noticed my handiwork, Kaiba!" Vivian giggled again, fiddling with her already-perfect kimono and smoothing out nonexistent wrinkles. "As for that pathetic Guardian, I –keep her around. Just for when I'm blue and need someone to torture." After she had said this, she snapped her fingers and raised her right palm to the heavens. "Come on down, 'Dark Witch'! [1800/1700]"

Almost at once the electrical storm decreased in intensity, and a winged creature with a yellow dress flew down from the dark storm-clouds and alighted next to the Shadow Huntress, folding her dark gray-blue wings behind her back and staring at the ground. As she caught sight of her friend, Mana gasped. The Dark Witch's arms, legs and shoulders were covered with whip lashes and burns, as if she had been lashed with the electro-whip on countless occasions. _Her hair's longer–_ Seto observed, trying not to stare at the Guardian's scars. Téa glanced upward for a moment, to observe the newcomers who dared to challenge the Shadow Huntress that had enslaved her. For a moment, Seto thought he glimpsed a glimmer of recognition in Téa's eyes when they made eye contact, but then she looked away, her eyes blank and expressionless once more.

_Are _all_ the Guardians enslaved like this?_ Seto wondered to himself. _Joey said that 'Celtic Guardian' had somehow escaped, and was hiding out in another forest. I wonder whose soul was merged with that Duel Monster?_

"All right. Enough of this!" Vivian cried, cracking her whip and activating her Duel Disk. Suddenly Seto realized what had seemed off about his opponent. There was a faint glow of red in her brown eyes, almost so alike in color that it was unnoticeable at first glance. As if that were not enough, when a gust of wind blew by, Seto spotted a familiar circle and star on her forehead before her bangs covered it again.

_I've seen that before, but there's _still_ something off about her. Could she be under the spell of the Orichalcos, and not be truly evil at heart?_ Seto thought to himself as he faced the impatient Shadow Huntress. "Let's Duel!" both warriors cried in unison.

* * *

><p>"My Lord." The Lady of Faith bowed low in greeting as Keith stepped through his personal Shadow Portal back into the Dominion of the Beasts. He waved her off dismissively as she continued her forced 'adoration ritual'. The Shadow King stomped over to his throne; a grotesque combination of gold, jewels, and the twisted bones of various creatures and Duel Monsters. He flopped down on the dais, then put his fingertips together and stared forward with a murderous scowl on his face. A third of his supposedly 'elite' Shadow Hunters had been defeated by this new upstart, Ryushiro, who with every victory was regaining more and more of his draconian strength.<p>

Thanks to the pact he'd made with the creatures that shared his dream, he had managed to cover his new dominion in shadow in just a few short weeks, according to the time of the human realm. Keith smirked when he thought of the chaos he'd created in that world, especially in the town of Domino. Gathering the six Millennium Items and imprisoning the Guardians had been no easy task, but the rewards were many. He was now the sole ruler of an entire _dimension_, and being able to defeat one of the best duelists in the world was no small prize either. Especially considering that the boy had defeated him handily in the past, twice even!

The Shadow King's grin widened as he remembered the look on Wheeler's face when he lost control of the duel and realized that his fate rested in the card shark's hands. Surprisingly, the former King of Games had been even easier to defeat. That fight was mainly won by psycho-warfare. Keith had only to brag about the fates of Yugi's friends, and the kindhearted duelist broke down into tears and surrendered the duel within 20 minutes.

"This 'Prince of Games' is getting to be a problem. My minions will have to step up their game if they have any hope of defeating him and quelling his little 'rebellion'." Keith growled as he rose from his throne and paced back and forth in front of the dais. "And I _still_ haven't found the Millennium Rod! Where the hell did Kaiba stash that thing?" he agonized, nearly tearing out his blond hair in frustration as he paced frantically. The Lady of Faith bowed her head and stared silently at the ground, praying that the gods would keep her friend safe. She didn't care about her own safety, but she earnestly pleaded with all the gods she knew to keep Seto and his friends safe from harm.

As the Lady of Faith prayed, the symbol of Wdjat that was burned into her forehead pulsed angrily and glowed with a dark red light. Keith spun around on his heel, alerted to the silent signal that came from the Duel Monster's mark. "So you still have some free will, do you?" he snarled, glaring at his personal slave and raising an eyebrow. "We'll have to fix that." he muttered, shoving the Millennium Ring in her face and strengthening the subjugation spell that he had placed on her. The spellcaster's blue eyes glowed red for a moment, then faded back to their normal color–albeit blank and lifeless–showing no spark of light whatsoever. "That's better." Keith growled with an evil smirk on his face. Then he strode haughtily over to his throne and sat down with a _flump_, surveying his domain with a smug expression.

_There's no reason to worry. _One_ of my subordinates is bound to defeat that dragon-boy. And if they don't, then _I'll_ finish him off. There's not a creature alive that can match the power I now possess, especially not that overgrown, washed-out lizard._ Keith thought arrogantly, fingering the Millennium Ring almost lovingly. "Come, Ryushiro. Come to your final DOOM!" he laughed.

* * *

><p>"We'll start off with 2000 Life Points. Agreed?" Vivian called nastily as she shifted into her battle position, cracking her whip near the enslaved Guardian and causing her to flinch away in fear. Mana growled at this treatment of a Sacred Guardian of the Dominion, but the Shadow Huntress paid her no heed.<p>

"What's the matter, Vivian? Anxious to lose?" Seto taunted back, activating his own sparring-sword-turned-Duel Disk.

"Hardly, Kaiba. I'm just so eager to finish the little 'torture session' I was enjoying before you showed up." Vivian answered, her eyes glowing red for a second. "There's something somehow cathartic about torturing people with lightning. Let's just say it gives me a _surge_ of pleasure." she laughed, cracking the Electro-Whip across Téa's back again, causing the already-beaten Guardian to wince. Seto caught her quick grimace of pain before she hid it under a mask of bravery, not wanting her newest companions to see how much it hurt.

"It's okay, Téa. You don't have to hide it. I'll defeat this Huntress just like all the others and free you from her cruelty." Seto whispered, knowing that the Guardian could hear him. Dark Witch looked up in disbelief, shocked that anyone would address her directly, and was rewarded with another strike across the back from the lightning whip. As soon as the whip made contact, a boom of thunder sounded around the Guardians, prince, and Shadow Huntress. Seto thought to himself, _It's like a storm, only without a drop of healing rain. The Warring Plains could sure use it._

"Eyes on your master, you useless lump!" Vivian shrieked, cutting a thin scar across Téa's face with the whip. Téa flinched again, and Mana could see some of the beginnings of tears in her eyes. "Anyway," Vivian continued with a cruel laugh, "I'll start off. I summon 'Lady Ninja Yae' [1100/200] in Attack mode!"

* * *

><p>"Oh, how did it come to this?" Roland whispered to himself as he paced around his living room, considering everything that had happened in the past few weeks. His two young masters–Seto and Mokuba as well as the rest of their adopted family–had disappeared without a trace. He had checked around Domino hundreds of times, trying to find some clue as to where the boys could have been taken, but to no avail. He had found evidence of a struggle in one of the dark alleys about a mile away from the Kaiba mansion, but no clues as to where the victims had gone, or even the assailants.<p>

Roland shuddered involuntarily as he remembered those beasts that were created and summoned by the Orichalcos. He had been staying at the Kaiba mansion as an added security precaution, and had gone out at two in the morning to check the front gate security. The monsters had struck him with an odd sort of beam from the Seal on their heads, and he collapsed to the ground, paralyzed. Thank God it was only temporary, but he had been powerless to stop the monsters from approaching the house and making the flight to escape necessary for the Kaiba brothers.

After the two boys left, the monsters had proceeded to make a mess of the house and the grounds, making it appear as if a tornado had blown through the property. Roland had called around, trying to contact any of the 'heroes' of Domino, but had not heard from anyone. It seemed that this nightmare was occurring all over the city to all the duelists and their friends, not just masters Seto and Mokuba and their family.

_BRRRRRIIIIIIIIIINNNNGGG!_ Roland jumped in surprise as the telephone rang at that moment, jolting him from his thoughts. He ran to the receiver and hastily picked up the communications device. "Hello? Kaiba residence, Isono Roland speaking."

"Hi again, Mr. Roland." came the answer, and the man knew he was once again speaking with Malik Ishtar. The young man continued, "I can't believe everything that's been happening. Did you see the special news report yet? Pegasus was supposed to have a speech today, to address the recent disappearances of the duelists and some of their friends and families."

"No I have not, Mr. Ishtar. Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I wish you and your family safety in these dangerous times." he answered, honestly fearing for the young family's lives.

"Thank you. That means a lot." Malik reciprocated, and Roland could hear the smile in his tone. "And don't worry about Kaiba. He's tough. He can take care of himself. And Mokuba."

_Click._ The line went dead, and Roland returned the phone to its holder. After his conversation was over, he walked to the living room and turned on the television to the news.

"And now Mr. Maximilian Pegasus, CEO of Industrial Illusions and creator of Duel Monsters, will make an announcement on the frightening events of these past few weeks."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Pegasus began in his overly-dramatic tone of voice, as if nothing was wrong. "I thank you all for coming to this announcement. It means so much to me that so many people care for the safety of their beloved town.

"As many of you may have noticed, there have been reports of odd disappearances all over the world, but most of them have occurred right here in Domino. Connected to these reports have been rumors of sightings of monstrous creatures, just as we saw three years ago, when Duel Monsters began materializing in our world, not as computerized holograms, but as flesh and blood beings." Pegasus paused, and took a deep breath. "As was the case last time, neither Industrial Illusions nor Kaibacorp. is responsible for these mysterious appearances of monsters or disappearances of duelists. In fact, one of the victims was Seto Kaiba himself, therefore he couldn't possibly be behind these attacks. It is my firm belief that this 'new enemy' is nothing of the sort. I believe in my heart that this madman–or mad_woman_ as the case may be–is someone we have encountered before. However, we have found no evidence to incriminate anyone just yet.

"As the police force has declared before, all duelists and their families are warned to move in groups, and only venture from their homes in times of greatest necessity for their own safety. I am sure this crisis will be resolved as soon as possible, and I am doing everything in my power to make sure that happens."

Pegasus ended his speech with a low, extravagant bow, then walked off the stage to his limousine, which took off within a matter of minutes. As he sat in the backseat of the vehicle, drinking a small glass of wine to calm his nerves, the gaming mogul considered to himself, _This is all _my_ doing. It was _my_ idea to organize a tournament called 'Empire of Shadows'. In my wildest fantasies, I never _dreamed_ that someone would take my words literally and somehow conquer the entire Monster World, the Dominion of the Beasts! Oh Kaiba-boy, wherever you are, I hope that somehow you and your friends will find a way to clear up this catastrophic mess, and bring whoever caused it to justice!_

* * *

><p>Seto Kaiba was breathing heavily as Vivian Wong screamed her denial of defeat to the heavens. A golden ray suddenly pierced the clouds and shone on the vanquished duelist, just as the crimson seal was about to drag her down into the earth like all her other compatriots. Mana cocked her head in confusion as the circle faded, leaving Vivian still kneeling where she had fallen. Slowly the female warrior faded from sight until she could be seen no more. <em>Huh. That's different. Maybe it's because she wasn't truly evil, just controlled. She sure was cruel to 'Dark Witch', though. I think this 'Vivian Wong' got off <em>way_ too easily._ Then she shrugged and resumed healing her friends' burns, as quite a few of them had been struck by electrical attacks from the firmament above. Just as Mana finished healing a burn on her master's forearm, Seto cried out as an inexplicable spasm of pain surged through him. He fell to his knees as another tremor weakened his already-exhausted body, and he put a hand over his heart area in a futile effort to lessen the agony.

"Kaiba? What's wrong?" Joey asked in confusion, looking at his friend with a raised eyebrow.

Seto couldn't answer. Every time he tried, another spasm would shoot through him, and it took all of his concentration to keep from crying out. However, he couldn't bite back all of his screams.

* * *

><p><span>End of chapter 8<span>

Next chapter teaser: Tomb of the Forgotten

Oh Ra. I can't even _begin_ to apologize for this unbearably-long hiatus. Can you guys (and girls) ever forgive me?

To make up for it (hopefully), I've put up a new story. It's about where I came from, Dr. Hana Itonami. Maybe you're interested, maybe you're not. IMHO it's a very interesting story, and I think you guys deserve a little bit of an explanation as to the mysterious, 5,000-year-old princess.

Seto: Really? Now _this_ I gotta see.

Me: I didn't mean _you_, but if you wanna read it too, go right ahead. Just warning you though, I probably look like a total Mary-Sue, but I tried to avoid it as best I could.

Tsunami Storm

Yeah, my Ka is the 'Lady of Faith'. Not one of the more powerful Duel Monsters, but then again, I'm not one of the more powerful characters.

Oh yeah. Evil author left you with a cliffhanger again, didn't she? MWUAAHAHAHAHAHAAA!

–Don't worry. I promise not to take nearly as long with the next chapter. Honest!


	9. Tomb of the Forgotten

Chapter 9: Tomb of the Forgotten

* * *

><p><em>"Kaiba? What's wrong?" Joey asked in confusion, looking at his friend with a raised eyebrow.<em>

_Seto couldn't answer. Every time he tried, another spasm would shoot through him, and it took all of his concentration to keep from crying out. However, he couldn't bite back all of his screams._

Mahaad calmly put a hand on his duelist's shoulder, both to comfort the pain-stricken young man and to find exactly what was causing the problem in the first place. What he found caused him to gasp. "There is an orb of 'Dark Energy' that has lodged inside your heart. I would say it's about the size of a fist. And from the looks of your wound, I would say that it's been there for quite a while. How in the world did you _survive_ such an attack?" the spellcaster breathed.

Seto was in too much pain to consider the Dark Magician's words, much less reply. His breath came in ragged gasps, his heart trying unsuccessfully to beat with the orb obstructing its movement. His strength leaving him, he collapsed onto his back as the tremors worsened, playing havoc with his breathing and heart, which was already working extra hard to pump blood to all parts of his body. Eventually the strain and insufficient supply of oxygen became too much for the dragon-prince, and his eyes closed as he lost consciousness.

"Master! What's– what's happening to him?" Mana cried, running over to two of her best friends. Her green eyes were wide with horror as she looked from one man to the other–one conscious and one not–and back again.

"I am not sure. But we have to remove that orb, or Seto will surely die. Quite honestly, I am surprised that he has survived even _this_ long. This wound looks to be at least a year old, if not more. Once again the dragon-warrior confounds me." Mahaad removed Seto's limp hand from over his heart and placed his own on the spot, closing his eyes and tapping into his inherent magic. After an extremely tense minute, he looked up to where Mana was staring down at him and her duelist. Isis had joined the two spellcasters, and was also surveying the situation with a worried expression. The four other boys and men were standing off to the side, explaining the situation to the newest Guardian, Téa, who was very confused at her tormentor's sudden disappearance.

"I am going to use my power to slowly remove the orb from within Seto's body, but I cannot do it alone. I know that you will not like this Mana, but I need you to use your 'Dark Burning' attack to gradually burn through the layers of his heart while I draw out the orb. Isis, it will be your job to heal each layer as the orb passes through it. I regret the pain that this will cause him, but I see no other solution." Mahaad admitted, looking at his scandalized apprentice with an apologetic and grim expression on his face. Isis nodded at once, and after a while Mana did as well, though her scowl clearly communicated that she did not like the idea one bit.

"Hey, we wanna help too! What can we do?" Joey asked, walking over with the other Guardians and bending over the unconscious prince. Mahaad smiled up at them gratefully and suggested, "Joseph, if you could hold his leg in place and keep him from thrashing around, it will help tremendously. Master Akunadin, you could do the same with the other leg." _Why did I just call him that? Could I be slowly regaining some of my true memories?_ "My pharaoh, if you could hold his shoulders in place, it will prevent much unnecessary injury." he continued, and though Akunumkanon looked at him in confusion for a moment at the title, he did as he was asked.

"What about me?" Téa asked, and Ryou echoed her query. Mahaad suggested that Ryou use his 'ability' to lessen the pain of the 'emergency surgery' that the Guardians were about to perform. Téa would have a very special job. "Could you use your electrical ability to keep Seto's heart beating during the extraction process?" Both Guardians nodded, and Mahaad placed both of his hands on Seto's bare chest, leaving a small triangular gap between his connected thumbs and forefingers. Tapping into his powers of the 'Dark Magician', Mahaad slowly drew out the orb of Dark Energy that Seto's dark side had placed there nearly half a year ago, intending for the attack to kill his good half and destroy his soul. Beside him, Mana was concentrating as well, using her 'Dark Burning' attack to eliminate a small circle of tissue as the sphere passed through each layer. As it left the heart, Isis healed each layer that had been either corrupted by the orb or burned away by Mana's spell.

As soon as the sphere had vacated Seto's cardiac organ, it began beating full and strong, just as it had been before the invasion of the foreign object. Mana smiled in relief when she heard the strong and healthy heartbeat, as it meant that the process was half over. The prince was gonna be okay! What's more, she was playing a vital role in _saving_ her duelist's _life_. One thing was for sure, if they ever got back to the world where they were supposed to live, _none_ of the Guardians would ever forget this adventure, and she ventured that the prince wouldn't either.

After another hour of burning, extracting and healing, the Dark Energy sphere was completely out of Seto's body and could not harm him or anyone else ever again, for Mahaad had transported it to his Dark Magic Academy where he could study it at a later date. All of the Guardians were either standing or kneeling beside their duelist, watching and waiting for him to regain consciousness. And eventually he did.

"Unnh." Seto groaned weakly, putting a hand over his heart area again and wondering vaguely why his shirt had been removed. "Man. I feel like my heart was slowly _burned_ out of my body. What happened?" he asked, looking around at all the Guardians, who were still kneeling beside and standing around him.

"Well we got that Dark Energy ball out of you." Mana supplied helpfully, a sheepish smile on her face. "How did that thing get inside your _heart_, anyway?"

Seto groaned again as he sat up, still keeping a hand over the area after he had pulled his shirt back on. "It was a while ago. My dark side had teamed up with Marik and had kidnapped Mokuba, my little brother. I went to save him along with my other brother Seth and my friends. My dark side attacked us and shot a ball of Dark Energy at Seth, and I jumped in front of him. I didn't want my brother to die. Everything went black after that. I guess I must have passed out. I don't know what happened, but the next thing I knew, I found I had taken the form of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. I was scared, so I fled Domino City and hid in the forest to the north. That's where Seth found me."

"And that orb of Dark Energy caused you to transform into a dragon?" Mana breathed, nonplussed at this revelation.

"That's what I assume happened." Seto answered with a shrug of his shoulders. He didn't know what to make of it either.

"Not so." Mahaad interjected after a moment of thought. Everyone turned to look at him, even Seto, and the magician elaborated. "'Dark Energy' cannot cause a transformation in _anyone_, no matter who they might be. I suspect that the prince's dark side intended to kill Seto and destroy his soul with that attack. He would never suspect that Seto would choose to transform himself in defense."

"You mean– it was something _I_ did?" Seto asked, flabbergasted. "But– but I don't remember doing anything like that!"

"Not consciously perhaps, but since your Ka is the powerful Blue-Eyes White Dragon, it fused itself with you–body and soul–so that you would not die in that attack. It knew that you are destined for great things, my prince, and so it offset the orb's true purpose and altered your appearance to save you." Mahaad explained.

_My Ka is the same as Kisara's? Huh. That's weird._ Seto thought to himself. Then he realized, _Hang on, is that how I was able to summon the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon in Atem's Memory World? One spirit came from Kisara, and one apparently came from me. The last one must have come from Seth! But wasn't his Ka 'Duos'?_

"A person can have more than one Ka, my prince." Mana commented suddenly. When he looked at her in surprise, she laughed. "You were thinking out loud. Anyway, as Guardians, we could summon as many Ka as we wanted, though we could only summon a maximum of three at one time. Kisara loved Seth, so much so that when she died she gave her Ka to him, so that it would be able to protect him." she said, unknowingly tapping into her true memories to supply her duelist with the information.

"That might explain why _Seth_ and _Kisara_ have the same Ka, but it doesn't explain how _I_ do too." Seto commented, still confused.

"Isn't it obvious? You and Seth share the same Ka because you are both related. You and Mokuba are his descendants!" the Guardian laughed, and Seto's jaw dropped. _My brother is also my ancestor?!_ he thought incredulously. _Unbelievable!_

After this the dragon-prince stood to his feet, swaying a little and shaking his head to rid himself of the feeling of dizziness. Everyone was still looking at him, as if expecting him to pass out again. He smiled a little at Mana–who looked especially concerned–then addressed the entire group. "We're not gonna accomplish anything just standing around here. Let's keep moving. I bet we can at least get to the next shrine before sunset."

"Wait a minute, Seto!" Téa called from the back of the group, and the dragon-warrior turned to look at her in surprise, not expecting her to call him by his first name. "I almost forgot to give this back to you. It _is_ rightfully yours, after all." She walked up to him and unbuckled something from the skirt of her dress. As soon as it had left the Guardian's waist, the piece of fabric changed its appearance into its true form, a piece of Seto's armor. "I stole this from Vivian a few days ago and hid it before she put me under that 'mindless zombie' spell. I knew that you would be coming eventually and that you would need it." She handed the tasset to her duelist, who gratefully accepted it and buckled it around his own waist.

_Eight down, thirteen to go. Not a bad start._ Seto thought to himself as his strength increased once again. Then he turned to the north and started leading his friends toward the canyon that led out of the Warring Plains. A clap of thunder suddenly crashed over their heads and a gentle drizzle of rain began to fall from the cloudy firmament. Mana laughed in joy that the curse had finally been broken and spread her arms out with her palms up, enjoying the playful droplets of water as they landed on the traveling group.

Not everyone was excited about the change in weather, though. Those who preferred not to get wet walked behind Mahaad, who had erected a barrier that acted as a giant umbrella. Mana continued to dance happily in the rain, laughing and catching drops in her mouth. Seto wondered how she could be so happy during a rainstorm, but then discovered the reason for her elation. The Warring Plains–covered with dead grass and trees–was beginning to show signs of life once again. Almost immediately the brown, lifeless grass began to perk up and turn green before the travelers' very eyes. By now the faint drizzle had turned to an outright downpour, and Mana hopped under the barrier to avoid the large droplets. Seto smirked at her with a teasing expression on his face, and she smiled back sheepishly.

"Have fun dancing in the rain?" he joked, and was rewarded with a playful shove from the female spellcaster. "Oh stop it. You'd be celebrating too if your home was gradually returning to its former splendor." she growled in mock annoyance, but she was still smiling, ruining the effect slightly.

…

About two hours later–after the rain had stopped–everyone decided to take a break for lunch. The girls sighed happily as they sat down, tired of walking. Mana sat down on a large flat boulder, took her boots off and massaged her sore feet, glad for the brief reprieve. The others took their seats beside her so that everyone was seated in a circle. Mana opened a portal to her pocket dimension and retrieved the bag of fruit scones, distributing them to each Guardian. She saved Seto for last, and he gave her a nod of thanks when he had taken an apple-filled one. Mana blushed a little and waved it off, then returned to her spot and eagerly bit into her own lunch, a cherry-filled scone.

After everyone had rested adequately and Mana had returned their supplies to the pocket dimension, the travelers resumed walking to their next destination. For hours they walked, always heading toward the narrow fissure that led out of the expansive plains, but never seeming to get any closer to it. This was just a testament to the sheer height of the canyon walls.

* * *

><p>They finally reached the valley at sunset, the shining face of Ra sinking into the horizon to the left of them. Mana shivered suddenly, the tremor having nothing to do with the temperature. She had suddenly remembered what their next destination was, and she didn't like that area of the Dominion one bit. It had unnerved her even when the land <em>wasn't<em> cursed. How much scarier would it be under the influence of the Shadow Hunters?

"Wat's up, Mana?" Joey asked, looking at his fellow guardian and friend. "Ya look like you've seen a ghost."

The spellcaster shuddered again, holding her arms around herself and cradling her torso. "It's this place. The 'Necrovalley'. I always avoid this place, it gives me the creeps. This valley leads to our next destination, the Graveyard."

"Mana is unnerved by the undead and zombie Duel Monsters." Mahaad elaborated. "Apparently she had a bad experience here once, but she's never talked with me about it. The 'Reaper of the Cards' has haunted her dreams ever since."

"I don't know what it is about that guy, but he always scares me. It's _really_ bad if you stay in the Graveyard during a Duel for a long time. When he comes for you with that huge scythe– you know that it can't be good. I always run away from him."

"He is only doing his duty, Mana." Mahaad commented gently, putting a hand on the distraught young woman's shoulder. "The Reaper is there to make sure that defeated Duel Monsters don't accidentally stumble back into the duel when they were not purposefully summoned. He's actually a decent fellow if you get to know him. A little quiet perhaps, but not cruel."

"He _still_ creeps me out." Mana argued stubbornly, folding her arms and closing the subject with a huff. Mahaad shook his head lightly and smirked at his headstrong apprentice, then looked to the east as they left the canyon, searching for the moon. After a few minutes of searching, he finally found it rising behind the mausoleum in the center of the enormous burial ground. The graveyard was filled with a wispy fog that blanketed the overgrown weeds and surrounded the tombstones. As if all of this did not set the mood, on the headstones were carved the names of every one of the Guardians, the dragon-prince, and other familiar names that meant something to the destined hero of the Dominion.

Suddenly Seto gasped and ran over to an older-looking tombstone and stopped in front of it, dropping to one knee and bowing his head. The others followed him after a while in somber silence, wondering to themselves who could have been laid to rest here.

"Da name's been worn away. How can ya tell whose it is?" Joey asked of his friend, who continued to pay his respects in silence. "Look at the bottom two names." he whispered after a minute, looking back up at the marker. The others followed his gaze, and some gasped when they discovered the truth.

"Your parents?" Téa guessed, and Seto nodded gravely [pardon the pun]. His mother's name and his father's–as well as their family name–had been worn away, but his own and Mokuba's looked like they had been carved only a few hours ago. The Guardian of Storms read the dates of the interned, and gasped when two of the dates matched. "Your mother–"

"Died in childbirth, when Mokuba was born." Seto finished for her, no trace of emotion at all in his voice. He stood up slowly and turned away from the grave, not meeting anyone's gaze. "It's been a long time since I've paid my respects to my parents. I suppose I should be grateful that Keith put that tombstone here to unsettle me."

"It was not by the Shadow King's design that your family's tombstone rests here. It is merely the nature of the Graveyard." Mahaad explained. "It is meant to reflect a person's heart, things they regret, and persons that were close to them while they were alive. The graveyard is normally not meant to unnerve any visitors. It is supposed to be a place of reflection where one can pay his or her respects to the departed, which you have done."

"This place has always been one of somber silence, but it was never intended to frighten anyone. The Shadow King's influence has corrupted even this solemn sanctuary." Isis added, her countenance somber.

"In any case, I appreciate this opportunity. I just wish–" Seto changed the subject slightly but then trailed off, not wanting to admit to any weaknesses, especially in front of the Guardians who were fast becoming his friends.

"You wish what?" Mana asked in curiosity, looking at her hero with an encouraging smile, glad that the subject had changed.

"I wish that I'd had time to say goodbye. I was only five years old when Mom died, and not old enough to understand the complications of childbirth. And then our father died in an accident three years later. It happened so suddenly that I didn't have time even to _think_, let alone react." he sighed sadly. "I just miss them so much." He rubbed a few budding tears out of his eyes, then put a hand on the top of the grave marker.

"Oh I wouldn't worry about it too much, Kaiba," an eerie, raspy voice echoed through the deserted moratorium, even though it was spoken with a whisper. "You'll be seeing them again soon enough in Hell, when I send you and your friends there myself!"

The mausoleum gate opened with a grinding, screeching noise–as if no one had oiled the hinges since the structure was built–and out of it slid a giant casket. The wood was painted black and the handles were made of silver, but they were badly tarnished. An involuntary shiver ran down Seto's spine when the casket came to a stop, though he was not afraid in the least. The head of the coffin opened, and white smoke billowed out of it. _Tch. Showoff. Everybody knows that's just dry ice,_ the dragon-prince scoffed in his thoughts. But what he saw next unnerved him to no end. A skeleton-like hand rose out of the white mist, followed by the thinnest arm that the young CEO had ever seen in his life. Mana squeaked quietly and jumped behind her duelist, afraid of the sight before the heroes.

Eventually the form climbed out of the coffin, complete with his hooded black cape, razor-sharp scythe and skull-shaped mask. From what Seto could see of the Hunter, his hands were only bones with a layer of skin stretched over them, and possibly a few muscles scattered here and there. His legs looked like twigs and his bare feet looked more like small rakes than walking appendages. Mana shuddered from her place behind Seto, thinking that this being was the dreaded 'Reaper of the Cards'.

"This guy's too tall to be the Reaper," Seto stage-whispered to the terrified Guardian. "Besides, a Duel Monster floats about two inches off the ground at all times, no matter what attribute or type they are. And this guy's definitely standing on the ground. Though I _am_ a bit unsettled by his skeleton-like appearance– Wait a second! I know who this Shadow Hunter is!" he gasped suddenly, and turned to his opponent and addressed him directly.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised. You're always hanging out in some type of boneyard. First it was Duelist Kingdom, then Battle City, now here. Haven't changed much in your behavior, have you, Bonz? Still hanging out with Bandit Keith too. I would've ditched that creep long ago if I were him, given how that guy treated his underlings."

The Graveyard duelist merely smiled thinly and didn't reply, staring at his armored opponent with gaunt sunken eyes that were concealed behind a mask. Joey shifted uncomfortably from his position to the right of his duelist and friend, recalling the first time he'd dueled this creepy kid in the graveyard-cave of Duelist Kingdom. He had won, but not before the undead monsters and even scarier duelist had thoroughly unsettled him. He'd even fainted on his feet during that duel, a fact he would never admit to aloud.

Suddenly the Shadow Hunter threw back his cape, exposing an unnaturally-thin physique. The teenaged boy was wearing only a pair of shorts under his cape, which were barely hanging onto his almost nonexistent waist by way of a drawstring tied in front. _Man. Not even my evil side was _this_ badly emaciated. Is this kid anorexic?_ Seto wondered to himself as the girls in his group of companions gasped in horror and sympathy.

"'Judge not, lest ye be judged'. [Luke 6:37a]" Bonz quoted with a hoarse whisper, which was all he could manage given his deteriorated state of being. Seto stepped back a bit when he realized that this young man had somehow heard his thoughts, and was more than a little unsettled by that discovery. However, he was not about to let this villain get under his skin.

"You know, thoughts are supposed to be private. And for the record, I wasn't judging you." Seto growled at his opponent, who just shrugged and activated his Duel Disk. Seto did the same, magically transforming his sparring weapon into a copy of the technology that he'd designed himself.

"Battle City rules. 4000 Life Points." Bonz called before Seto could, setting the stakes for the duel. "That _is_ what you wanted, right?" the teenager laughed, then coughed violently as his deteriorated body barely managed to produce the bark of ridicule.

"Sure kid. Whatever you say." Seto growled. "Since you set the rules, you get to take your turn first. Give me your best shot."

"Oh I will, Kaiba. Believe me, I will." Bonz laughed, his voice suddenly full of energy now that a duel was about to take place. Something that looked like mist swirled around the young man's body, though upon closer inspection Seto discovered that it was actually a vortex of souls, the very same ones that Akefia had used as a shield in the ruins of Kul-Elna. _He might be the next Guardian,_ Seto thought to himself. _This place– it somehow fits with him._ He looked at the nearest headstone and squinted a little when he couldn't decipher the name. _It must belong to one of the citizens of his home village. I guess the Graveyard acts as a place of reflection for _all_ who visit it, not just me._

"All right. Enough stalling." Bonz called, putting a card on his Duel Disk. "I summon 'Armored Zombie' [1500/0] in Attack Mode!" The ground in front of Bonz began to shift and slide. A green hand reeking of rotting corpses appeared from the ashen earth, slowly pulling up a rotting corpse–the source of the horrid odor–dressed in cracked red armor with a broken arrow shaft sticking out of the back exactly where the heart should've been. One eye was larger than the other and most of the dark gray hair had rotted away. "Then I'll lay down one card face-down. End turn."

Joey and Mana both made noises like they were trying to hold back from losing their lunch, and the other Guardians grimaced.

"Fine then," Seto called, seemingly unaffected by the foul stench. "I'll summon the 'Flame Swordsman' [1800/1600] in Attack Mode!"

"Do ya really need _me_ ta come out?" Joey asked, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "I mean, _Isis_ has got more defense points." The swordsman's remark earned him a glare from most of the surrounding Guardians. "Fine." Joey reluctantly stepped onto the field and drew his sword. "Make it quick," he begged his duelist, "'cause dat zombie's gonna make me hurl."

"Joey, it's not _that_ bad," Seto answered, but with a look of empathy in his eyes. "I'll set one face-down card and end my turn."

"WHA?! Ya can't leave me out here _alone_ with Zombie-breath!"

"Joey, will you calm down and just _trust_ me?" Seto asked, and Joey groaned. "Believe it or not, I know what I'm doing."

"'Oh, ye of little faith–' [Matt. 8:26]" Bonz growled as he drew his next card. "Now then, I'll summon 'Clown Zombie' [1350/0] in Attack Mode! Turn end."

_What's this punk up to?_ Seto thought. _He could've sacrificed his monster for one that's way more powerful than Joey, or another one so he can have a second shot at my Life Points._

"Kaiba–eh, I'd appreciate some help out here," Joey suggested nervously.

"All right Joey. First I'll play a Magic card called 'Cost Down' in order to summon 'Master Monk' [1900/1000] in Attack Mode!" Akunadin stepped onto the field next to Joey. "Next, I'll equip Joey with 'Salamandra'. Akunadin, attack his 'Armored Zombie' and Joey, take out his 'Clown Zombie'!"

"Dat's more like it!" Joey crowed as his blade burst into flames. He grinned and charged at the undead circus performer just as Akunadin ran at the Armored Zombie. The two attacks took 1550 Life Points away from Bonz, leaving the thin boy gasping for air as a thick tendril of gray energy poured from his back like blood from a knife wound. "That's enough for now." Seto commented, ending his Battle Phase. Bonz let out a low snarl at his loss, but as he drew his next card it turned into a grin and then a chuckle.

"I hope ya got enough defenses up, Kaiba. I don' like dat look on his face." Joey remarked worriedly.

_I don't either, and I don't trust it,_ Seto thought to himself.

"I play the magic card 'Rope of Life' and summon my 'Clown Zombie' back from the grave. Then I sacrifice my Clown to summon 'Pumpking the King of Ghosts' [1800/2000] in Attack mode!" The earth split behind Bonz's feet and a pumpkin with enormous blank black eyes emerged, vines swinging as if caught in a tornado. "Then I'll play 'Call of the Haunted' and bring back my 'Armored Zombie'!" The undead warrior crawled out of the crack from which the Pumpking had appeared moments ago. "And finally I'll place one card face-down. Turn end."

Joey blinked in confusion. "Wait a sec. His Pumpking's got more dan enough Attack Points ta clean me out. Why didn' he–" Seto narrowed his eyes skeptically but shook his head.

"Akunadin-"

"Activate trap!" Bonz cried.

"_What_?!" Joey and Seto cried out at the same time. The face-down card Bonz had placed appeared.

"'Nightmare's Steelcage' stops you from attacking for two turns, giving me the chance to wipe you out once and for all, Kaiba!" Seto growled a low snarl as the spiked iron cage materialized around him and his two monsters on the field.

"I'll summon 'Mystical Elf' [100/2000] in Defense Mode and place two cards face-down. Turn end." Seto announced, and Bonz smirked wickedly.

"I'll summon a monster in face-down Defense Mode. Turn end." the young Shadow Hunter retorted, and Seto looked over his cards.

_Not good. I've got nothing I can use to summon any of the stronger monsters like Mahaad or Téa without a sacrifice. And I don't have Monster Reborn in my hand either._ Seto's fingers trembled against his will, making a single card shift to reveal the first letter of a card that had been hiding in the back. _'Soul Exchange'! Perfect!_ Seto smirked at Bonz, who looked somewhat confused at the dragon-prince's sudden confidence. "I'll summon 'King's Knight' [1600/1400] in Attack Mode and place one more card face-down. Turn end."

"My move then. And I'll start by flip-summoning 'Castle of Dark Illusions' [950/1930] in Defense Mode!" A sudden dust storm picked up, whipping debris and loose dirt and grass into the air. Once the winds died down, the gold-brown castle was hovering in the air. "And my castle comes with a very special ability: this card increases that attack strength of all of my Zombie-type monsters by 200 points every Standby Phase for the next four turns. And the Pumpking gets an extra 100 points for every Standby Phase that my Castle gives points to my Zombies."

"Dat's three hundred points per turn," Joey breathed. "An' you're still stuck here until da end of yer next one." he added to his duelist.

"I _know_ that Joey. Stop worrying so much. I've got a plan." Seto assured.

"Would ya care ta fill any of us in on it?" the Flame Swordsman asked, but Seto remained silent.

"I think I'll be nice though. Like they say; 'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.' [Matt. 7:12] Turn end." Bonz continued.

"Strange, Bonz, I would've thought that you would know who you're up against, but clearly I was mistaken. I'm not one to just stand by and take a hit without a fight. So I activate the Magic card 'Soul Exchange' in order to take control of 'Castle of Dark Illusions'. However, this structure won't be staying very long," Seto said as the Castle appeared on his side. "Because I'm going to sacrifice it in order to summon the 'Dark Witch' [1800/1700] in Attack Mode! Now then, I'll have 'Master Monk' attack the Pumpking, 'Dark Witch' attack the 'Armored Zombie' and Joey and Akunumkanon attack you directly. It's over Bonz." Bonz looked around at his monsters in a panic as each of Seto's monsters came closer.

"NO! This can't be happening!" he cried as both King's Knight and Joey slashed at him with their swords, cutting the duelist's remaining Life Points down to 0. Mist swirled around Bonz's form as it did when the duel began, and Seto could see skeletal faces in the midst of it. _So that's the soul-shield he was using earlier. They're going to make sure that he shares the fate of all the other Shadow Hunters that I've defeated._

As the harrowing duel drew to a close, Bonz was breathing hard, his breath coming in ragged, wheezing gasps, all the energy that he'd used during the course of the duel vanishing into the ether and returning from whence it came. Seto took a breath himself as his energy returned to him, suddenly feeling revitalized and better than he had before the duel, although his newly-reclaimed rerebraces could've had something to do with that. He equipped the pieces to both of his forearms, then sighed when he remembered that he wasn't even halfway done yet. He turned back for one last look at his parents' grave as Bonz vanished into the ground like his confederates, but then turned back when a ghostly form caught his eye.

_"Thank you, Kaiba."_ Akefia whispered, his astral projection standing beside his Ka, Diabound Kernel. Seto nodded, then quietly excused himself from the group of Guardians, walking over to his family's grave and kneeling down in front of it to say goodbye. The rest of the group explained the situation to their newest addition and welcomed Akefia into the group with open arms. Mostly. Mana was still a little shy around the Guardian of the Dead, but he managed to assuage her apprehension with a simple explanation. _"The souls laid to rest here are all at peace. They will not harm you or any of your friends. I will make sure of that. I have been entrusted with overseeing this area, and it is my duty to keep visitors to the graveyard safe, so they can pay their respects to loved ones without fear. Death is just the next great adventure, a path that we must all someday take."_

Mana nodded, then the troop navigated the cemetery, skirted the mausoleum–which had thankfully lost most of its eerie qualities–and continued out of the burial ground toward the desert to the north.

* * *

><p><span>End of chapter 9<span>

Next chapter teaser: Desert Colossus

Nice change from the barren wasteland that was once known as the Warring Plains. And I totally went with the obvious with Bonz as the boneyard baddie. Couldn't resist, guys. Sorry.

I was dealing with a touchy concept here, anorexia. It's really sad. People, you are NOT FAT! We love you just the way you are!

Huge ginormous thank-you to Sailor Phoenix1997 for writing this awesome duel for me! Couldn't have done it without you!

Until next chapter!

Tsunami Storm


	10. Desert Colossus

Empire of Shadows, a not so little Yugioh! fanfic by Tsunami Storm

Chapter 10: Desert Colossus

* * *

><p>"With this heat, I think I'm actually starting to <em>miss<em> the Warring Plains." Seto complained mostly under his breath as he panted in exhaustion. "I gotta say I'm jealous of all but three of you Guardians. You guys were born and raised in the desert." he added, tilting his head back to look at his companions, all of whom wore expressions of confusion on their faces.

"I tink da heat's finally startin' to get ta him. He's not makin' any sense." Joey joked a little, but his chocolate-brown eyes were concerned.

"That may be so Joey, but I'm not going crazy just yet." Seto answered, shooting a playful smirk at his blond friend. "I was referring to the fact that six of you once lived in ancient Egypt, and are therefore accustomed to this desert climate. As for the rest of us, we're more comfortable with less extreme temperatures. At least, _I_ am anyway."

"My prince, are you referring to our lost memories? Do you speak of our lives before our existence as Shadow Creatures?" Mana queried, and Seto nodded. "It's a pretty long story, and I don't have the time or the strength to tell you the whole thing now. I'll explain when we make camp tonight."

Mana nodded once in agreement, and the group of ten Guardians and prince traveled on through the arid expanse of desert, stretching for miles in every direction. The shifting dunes yielded no clues, no paths that would lead them to their next destination: a gigantic monument to an ancient deity of the sands somewhere in this seemingly endless wasteland. The Guardians trusted and followed their savior and he followed his instincts, trusting the strange force in his heart that compelled him toward the shrines of the Guardians. And so far that gentle pull had never failed him.

"Speaking of heat exhaustion–" Téa began, but she never finished her train of thought before she dropped to her knees, falling to the ground. Or at least she would have if Seto hadn't caught her at the last second. He knelt at her side, his arm supporting her head and eyes looking down at her with concern. "Mana, open your pocket dimension. There should be several flasks inside." he ordered, and the young spellcaster obeyed without question, though her green eyes held confusion in their depths. She grabbed a small canteen from the pile and brought it to the dragon-prince, who thanked her with a nod. He unscrewed the cap and poured a few drops into his hand and spread it over the young woman's brow, adding a small amount of his own magic to the liquid to help heal his friend.

Whatever Seto did seemed to work. Téa groaned a little and opened her sapphire-blue eyes slowly, blinking in the harsh light of the midday sun. She smiled shyly at the prince, who had saved her life twice now, and he smiled back kindly. "Here. Drink this. You're severely dehydrated." he offered, helping her sit up and handing her the flask. She took a small sip at first, then drank more as her strength returned. When she finished, she flushed with embarrassment that she'd drained the whole bottle. Seto laughed and waved it off, saying, "Don't worry about it, there's plenty more where that came from. Besides, you needed it." Then he stood up and walked over to the tear between dimensions and pulled out eight more flasks, which he tossed to each of the Guardians. "I think we can spare a few minutes for a break. Let's rest here for a half-hour, then we'll move on."

The other Guardians gratefully agreed, and Seto and Mahaad cast a shield of shadows over the group, rather like donning a pair of giant sunglasses that covered a 20 square-foot area [≈1.85m²]. The others sat down on the soft sand and took a few sips from the water flasks. Seto sat next to Téa after the 'shadow tent' was erected, and Mahaad took his place between Mana and Akunumkanon.

"You know, I'dve thought it would be _Ryou_ that got heatstroke first, given his white hair and fair complexion." Seto teased gently as he nudged 'Change of Heart' playfully, and the Guardian blushed shyly in response.

_"_You're_ one to talk, Kaiba. You're just as pale as he is. Quit teasing my hikari."_ Akefia growled over on Ryou's other side, glaring at the dragon-warrior menacingly, but a glimmer of mischief in Diabound's eyes ruined the effect slightly. _Hikari? Where did that come from?_

"Careful Akefia. You're sounding dangerously like your dark side." Seto answered, turning to the winged demon and grinning evilly. Diabound grimaced and turned away at that, but Seto could've sworn he heard the newest addition to their group mutter _"Touché."_

"All right you two. Enough teasing." Mahaad chided gently, and Seto grinned in apology. Diabound nodded as well and struck up a conversation with Ryou as Seto turned to 'Dark Witch'. "You feeling better now?"

"Yes. Thank you, my prince." Téa answered. She twisted the empty canteen around in her hands for a moment, then asked, "Where did you get that water? It seems to possess some type of healing power."

"From the Fountain. Isis mentioned once that the Fountain's water has the power to heal and restore the strength of a Duel Monster that drinks it, although apparently it works for me as well." Seto answered as he smiled over at the Mystical Elf, who returned the expression. "I thought it might come in handy, so I filled up some bottles while I was there. Turns out it did." he continued.

"Your foresight never ceases to amaze me, my prince." Mana commented from her position next to her Dark Magic teacher. She was blushing slightly, but Seto mistook it for a reaction to the heat. However, the expression did not go unnoticed by everyone. Mahaad had spotted the change as well, and he smiled to himself. _I can certainly understand your feelings, Mana. He is an honorable young man. Strong and noble as well. But I'm afraid your feelings may be unreturned._

"Just helps to be prepared." Seto answered with a shrug, then stood up to continue their quest and the other Guardians followed suit. "Let's keep heading north. The shrine has got to be around here somewhere." Seto suggested, and his companions nodded.

…

After a few more hours of walking, the travelers were starting to tire again and Seto agreed that another rest period was necessary. Just as he'd sat down on a small outcropping of sandstone, the dragon-prince spotted a strange light sparkling in the distance. "Hey, what's that over there?" he asked of no one in particular, and the Flame Swordsman answered.

"Yer seein' tings, Kaiba. It's prob'ly just a mirage. Dere's nothin' over there. Not dat _I_ can see, anyway." Joey stated, squinting over in the direction that Seto was looking.

"That's because your eyes are not like mine, Joey. Dragons have much keener senses than humans do." Seto explained, looking back at his friend.

"But yer still _human_ too," Joey argued. "I don' get it."

"Seto's case is unique, Joseph. Over the years, there have been a few humans who have merged their souls with that of their spirit monsters, but there is only _one_ man that I know of that has not only joined with his monster in spirit, but also in body." Mahaad explained, and the Guardian of Fire looked at the armor-clad spellcaster. "Seto."

"That's how you were able to change your form into that of a drake when you battled Lumis, isn't it?" Ryou asked, and Seto nodded. "I can transform into the Blue-Eyes White Dragon whenever I need to. However, without all the pieces of my armor the change comes with almost _unbearable_ pain. And it's not only physical pain, either. I feel it in my core, too. My very _soul_."

"Wow." was all Joey could say to that, then sat down again, unable to think of anything more to say. Mana–wanting to turn the subject away from this depressing route–asked, "What did you see over in this direction, my prince?"

"I thought I saw the sparkle of water, like an oasis or something." Seto answered, looking first at her and then back at the anomalous shimmer in the distance. "But Joey might be right. It could just be a mirage."

"Well let's go check it out! We're not exactly doing much by just sitting around here!" the bubbly spellcaster chirped, and Seto smiled and shrugged, thinking to himself, _She's right, we might as well move on. Even if it is a mirage, it won't change anything important._ Then he called, "Lead the way, Mana."

* * *

><p>"Unnh. Where– am I?" a weak, female voice questioned, and a strange, deep voice answered her. <strong>"You have been freed from the darkness. The one who calls himself 'the King of Thieves' is no longer in control over you. The prince has seen to that."<strong>

"Prince? What are you talking about? Who are you?" the young woman gasped, afraid of the immensely powerful voice that could not belong to anything of this world.

**"Few mortals have seen my face and lived. Even fewer have uttered my name and not perished where they stood. Only two beings of your race possess the spirit to command me, and you are neither. You shall return to the world of mortals and deliver a message to the one who returned us to that world."**

Vivian knelt down on her right knee and bowed her head, submitting to the will of this being of ultimate power. "What must I do?"

* * *

><p>"Oh wow! It's beautiful! I've never seen such a wonderful sight in all my life!" Mana gasped in awe as she ran up to the crystal-clear waters. Seto smiled and agreed with her, looking at the pristine oasis in approval. The water lapped happily against the shore and the magician's bare feet when she'd removed her boots. Seto knelt at the water's edge and filled several bottles with the fresh water, instinctively knowing that this water possessed the same healing magic of Isis' Fountain.<p>

Ryou flew out to the middle of the water and measured its depth with a few quick calculations. He flew back and landed next to his duelist, commenting, "The water is five feet [1.5m] deep at its lowest point. I suggest we use this golden opportunity and relax a little."

"I agree. Good idea." Ryushiro answered, and he started removing his armor pieces and changed his pants to swim trunks as he had before. The new Guardians–especially Téa and Ryou–reacted with alarm when they saw the scars, but none had the heart to ask their friend about how he got them. He appreciated that. By coincidence only, Mana and Joey stepped into the water at the exact same time, and suddenly a barrier of shadows shot out of the ground and water between them. Seto looked back at Mahaad, but the spellcaster shook his head. "I did not do that. It must be some ancient magic of the oasis. Perhaps we should follow its wishes and respect the barrier. Girls on one side, boys on the other."

"Aww, it's no fun _that_ way," Mana groused, but then Téa splashed her in the face. "I beg to differ," laughed the Guardian of Storms." Oh _now_ you're in for it! Get back here!" laughed the Dark Magician Girl. She ran after the other Guardian, and Seto simply smirked and shook his head. Using his power, he subtly changed his friends' outfits into swim attire as well, then waded into the warm, clear waters. "No excuses this time, Isis. The water is shallow enough that you'll be able to stand on the bottom." he called over to the celestial Guardian, who blushed and replied, "As you wish, my prince." The words were submissive, but Seto could hear the smile in her voice.

In the midst of a dunking battle with Joey, Seto glanced toward the north and spotted a titanic structure in the distance, one carved right into the sandstone. It depicted a man garbed in the style of Egypt, but instead of the head of a man, the figure had the head of a Typhon beast.* _That must be Set, god of the desert and of destruction. Seth's namesake. I guess we've reached the next shrine. The Desert Colossus._ Without warning, he tackled the Flame Swordsman and forced him below the water. "Now we're even." he laughed as Joey resurfaced. The blond was about to protest, but then he remembered the incident in the castle kitchens and grinned sheepishly. "You win Kaiba." he admitted, and accepted his defeat with grace.

After everyone had sufficiently cooled off and donned their respective attire, Seto crossed the surprisingly short distance from the oasis to the colossus, his friends following after him. "Wow. Dat's gotta be da hugest statue I've ever seen in my life!" Joey gasped, and Seto silently agreed with him. "That's Set. Egyptian god of the desert, travelers, and destruction. Apparently I was named after him, either that or after a powerful pharaoh who also bore his name." he revealed, thinking of his adopted older brother and the fact that he was actually his and Mokuba's ancestor.

"Really? Ah nevah knew that you come from a line of kings, mistah Kaiba. Or, should Ah start callin' you 'Your Highness'?" a contemptuous voice sounded from the shadows in a thick Southern accent. A Shadow Hunter stepped from the dark doorway that led into the shrine, his dark robes and skull-shaped mask concealing the duelist within, but the dragon duelist had heard that voice too often not to place it immediately. "Lecter. I figured I would run into another one of you snakes sooner or later. It's somehow fitting that Keith would leave this area to you. Sidewinders and asps can always be found in the arid desert."

"Don't forget cobras an' rattlers, mistah Kaiba. Only unlike them, Ah don't intend ta give you any warnin' befor' Ah strike!" He hurled a poisoned dart at the hero from somewhere inside his sleeve, but something happened that he hadn't expected. A gust of wind suddenly blew between the adversaries, and when it cleared, Seto unclenchedhis fist and dropped the dart to the ground, having caught it in midair just inches from his heart. He ground the lethal needle beneath his shoe and spat, "You're making my point _for_ me, you poisonous reptile. I can see why you were always one of my stepfather's right-hand men."

Lecter only scowled and answered venomously, "You may have lightnin'-quick reflexes like that overgrown white lizard, but yer nowhere near the power that Ah now possess thanks to the Shadow King. Yer little insignificant rebellion ends here, mistah Kaiba!"

"We'll see about that, you hack." Seto retorted, turning his sparring blade into a Duel Disk and inserting his deck. Lecter did the same with his and the Life Point counters set themselves at 4000. "Here we go again," Joey muttered under his breath, and Seto looked back at him with a sly grin. "You ready for this?"

Joey grinned back at him. "Let's kick some Shadow Hunter butt!"

"I'll start things off. I set one card in face-down position and summon 'Mystical Elf' [100/2000] in Defense mode! End turn." Seto called.

Just then a pair of magenta-colored beams shot out of the eye-holes of Lecter's mask and hit Seto squarely in the chest. He staggered backward in shock and to his further surprise, his covered card turned black, indicating that it could not be used.

"Ah'm afraid Ah can't allow that move, mistah Kaiba." Lecter announced, finally pulling back his hood and removing his mask, revealing a sight none of the Guardians or hero expected. Instead of the tall member of the Big Five that Seto had assumed was under the guise, 'Jinzo' [2400/1500] glared back at him with folded arms. "Somethin' went awry when Ah was returned ta this world, Kaiba. Because of _you_, Ah had no body ta come back to like mah confederates. Howevah, the King was gracious enough ta bring me back like this. So now Ah get ta give ya hell with mah favorite monster. Say goodbye to yer traps Kaiba, an' prepare ta meet your end!"

"Need I remind you Lecter? I've beaten you without trap cards once before and I'll do it again." Seto growled, shuffling through his hand and rearranging his cards a bit.

"Like they say Kaiba, 'If at first ya don't succeed, try, try again.'" the former businessman quoted, and Seto smirked.

"I plan to make sure you _can't_ try again." he answered smugly.

"We'll see, mistah Kaiba," Lecter spat as he drew a card. "First off, Ah think Ah'll play the magic card called 'Cost Down' in order ta summon another one of yer lil' friends ta the party."

"_What_?!" Joey shouted, and Seto's expression matched his friend's outburst. Lecter's face twisted into a sneer as he placed a card on the disk face-down.

"Attack if ya got the guts, mistah Kaiba. But remember: this is one of yer little 'Guardians'. An' who knows what could happen to their soul if they're sent to the Graveyard. Ya willin' ta take the risk?" he laughed.

Seto narrowed his eyes at the former executive. "I don't plan on taking any risks, Lecter. So I'll start off by summoning the 'Flame Swordsman' [1800/1600] in Attack Mode!" Joey stepped onto the field with a snarl toward his and his duelist's opponent.

"Let's jus' get dis over with. Dere's somethin' about dis guy I don't trust." he suggested, and Seto nodded in agreement.

"Then I'll activate the magic card 'Stop Defense', so your face-down card is now face-up in Attack mode." Seto called back in retaliation, magically activating the spell card. In the place of the monster card on Lecter's field was now a two-headed beast dressed in green, gold and silver armor. In one of his hands was a long, green battle axe with the Millennium Symbol etched in gold, and a similar design covered the front of a shield resting on the opposite arm.

"That is '2-Headed Jackal Warrior'," Mahaad breathed.

"Shada," Seto mirrored, a little surprised that one of the Shadow Hunters would choose to include a Guardian as part of their deck. Seto took a deep breath, still keeping his cool outward appearance and cocked his head a little to the side, feigning confusion.

"I'm impressed, Lecter. You actually managed to do something no one expected of you. Maybe being under the Shadow King's thumb has actually taught you a thing or two. Not that any of it will help." he taunted smugly.

"Could it be, mistah Kaiba, that you're not familiar with 2-Headed Jackal Warrior's special ability? By payin' 500 Life Points, Ah can have him attack twice in one turn." the Big Five member laughed.

"Are you not overlooking something, Lecter?" Isis asked suddenly, and the business mogul turned to her in confusion.

"An' just what might that be, missy?" he asked in confusion. Isis sighed and shook her head.

"The fact that Joseph and Shada have the exact same number of Attack Points means that they'd end in a stalemate. And I have 200 more Defense Points than Shada. And while we are on the subject, is it not still the hero's turn?" The blonde elf chuckled somewhat darkly, surprising, considering her Light alignment and normally kindhearted nature.

"I'm going to enjoy this." Seto chuckled as he drew another card from his hand. "I activate the Magic card known as 'Change of Heart'! It lets me take one of your monsters and make it my own. And since Shada is your only monster, you can probably guess who I'm going to take." Seto mocked, causing Lecter to snarl at him for insulting his intelligence. "Ryou, if you would do the honors." Seto gestured.

Lecter was silent as Shada appeared on Seto's side of the field, shaking his two jackal heads in confusion.

"What just happened?" The two mouths moved in harmony.

"Yer mind was taken over by da Shadow King, and he gave ya ta dis freak with da bad glasses, and now you're back on da winnin' side. Dat clear?" Joey asked. Shada blinked in confusion for a moment before shaking his heads again.

"N-No. That wasn't clear." He answered, still confused. Who was this young man armed in an incomplete suit of armor, and why did he feel like he owed this young warrior his life?

"How about this for clarity?" Seto interjected as he selected a final card. "Isis, move into Attack Mode and I'll equip you with the 'Black Pendant'. Now all three of you, attack Lecter's Life Points directly!"

"That was fairly clear," the jackal warrior agreed before leaping at his old enslaver with his two new companions. One slash of a fire sword, one slice of an axe and a blast of magic later, all that remained of Lecter was a star-burst burn-mark on the temple floor.

"That– last attack– took a bit more out of me– than I expected." Seto panted as another member of the Big Five–and one of his former business associates–had been destroyed by the combined attacks of three of the Guardians.

"Indeed." Shada answered, having finally regained some of his memories. He was the Guardian of the Desert. "But I am eternally grateful for your sacrifice. You have freed my dominion from the oppression of the Shadow King, as well as all the Duel Monsters that live here."

"Eh, the 'sacrifice' wasn't that bad," Seto amended when he'd regained his breath. "I'm just glad that this place can finally return to its former splendor, to be what it once was."

"And just think, my prince," Mana chirped brightly. "You're halfway through this crazy quest to free all the Guardians and take on the Shadow King! Just eleven more to go!"

"_Ten_ more, Mana." Seto corrected as he equipped his newly-recovered poleyns to his knees, adding two more pieces of his armor to his set and increasing his draconian strength once more. Mana cocked her head in confusion, but then listened as Seto explained further. "Assuming that Keith is still holding my brother hostage at the castle–and the fact that he's the final Guardian–I really have _ten_ more of you to free before I dethrone that usurping card shark. So I'm exactly halfway there." he finished.

"Oh, right." Mana answered, checking her math once more on her fingers and flushing when she realized that he was correct. "Whoops."

Seto smiled at her kindly, and she returned the expression, though hers looked more on the sheepish side. After a minute he suggested to the group, "Let's go freshen up back at that oasis and make camp for the night. Then in the morning we can continue on to our next destination, those mountains over there to the north, and the stronghold that rests at the foot; the domain of the Guardian of Stone."

* * *

><p><span>End of chapter 10<span>

Next chapter teaser: The Stronghold in the Mountains

As always, thanks again to Sailor Phoenix1997 for writing an amazing duel. You rock!

I just felt that I should mention that Mana wanted to be a little rascal and have a chance to dunk one of the boys. (I think she was channeling ME a little bit there, 'cause that's what I've been wanting to do.) Hee-hee!

*Typhon beast – The Typhon has a curved snout, long, rectangular ears, a forked tail, and canine body; sometimes, Set is depicted as a human with only the head of the Set animal. It does not resemble any known creature, although it could be seen as a composite of an aardvark, a donkey, a jackal, or a fennec fox. Some early Egyptologists have proposed that it was a stylized representation of the giraffe, due to the large flat-topped 'horns' which correspond to a giraffe's ossicones. However, the Egyptians make a distinction between the giraffe and the Set animal.

–taken from Wikipedia page on 'Set'

–So, no one really knows _what_ it is. XD

I just want you readers out there to know that I am not making fun of any accents in this story. This is not meant to be a parody, I am trying to portray my borrowed characters as accurately as possible, with their mannerisms, personality, accents, all that jazz. If at any time any of you spots a mistake that either I or Sailor Phoenix1997 missed, drop me a review on the appropriate chapter and I'll fix it as soon as humanly possible. I need all the help I can get!

Um– I think that's it. *checks through notes* Yep, it is. See you next chapter!

Tsunami Storm

P.S.: HA! _What_ notes?! All my characters are too unpredictable for any kind of outline or planning ahead! And my muses certainly are not helping matters. Ah well. See you next time!


	11. Stronghold in the Mountains

Empire of Shadows

Chapter 11: Stronghold in the Mountains

* * *

><p><em>CLANG!<em> The clash of metal-on-metal caused the sleeping spellcaster to wake up with a start, shocked out of the pleasant dream she'd been having. She didn't remember most of the details, but she remembered seeing a young woman next to her, pointing at a ripe, juicy fig on an ancient tree. The teenaged girl was crying, but also smiling in a friendly way. Mana knew that she should know who this girl was, but she couldn't remember. [See 'Flower of Life']

Her thoughts moving back to the present, she turned her eyes to the sight before her. The prince and her friend the Flame Swordsman were battling fiercely with one another, blades constantly clashing as they blocked and parried each other's moves, countering with their own and repeating the struggle over and over again. _Oh, they're just training._ Mana realized in relief. _I'd thought there was a battle going on!_

"Well, look who's _finally_ awake." Mahaad teased gently, grinning at his apprentice. "Did you get enough rest, Sleepyhead?"

Mana blushed in embarrassment, but then shot back, feigning hurt. "Yes I did, master. There's no need to call me names!" she was barely concealing a grin of amusement, and could tell that her teacher saw right through her weak mask, because he grinned too, winking at her conspiratorially.

"He's getting better." Akunumkanon praised, studying the exchange of blows thoroughly. "There was a time when he could only keep at it for a few hours. Now he's matching every one of the Flame Swordsman's moves and doesn't appear winded in the slightest, despite beginning at dawn with no respite."

"Indeed he is improving, my pharaoh." Mahaad answered the King's Knight, his true memories breaking through the mind-fog for a brief instant before becoming shrouded again. "We can only hope that his skill and endurance continue to increase, so that when the time comes to battle the Shadow King, he'll be ready."

"At da rate he's goin', he'll be _more_ dan 'ready'," Joey called over as he continued to train his sparring partner. "He's gonna wipe da floor wid dat hack!"

"Don't set your hopes _too_ high, Joey." Seto warned as he parried another blow. "Bandit Keith's no pushover. Just because I've got a lot of raw talent doesn't mean it will be an easy fight. In fact, it may very well be the fight that determines my destiny; life or death." He crossed blades with the Duel Monster again, growling determinedly, "But we will meet him in battle, nonetheless."

"That's the spirit, Kaiba!" Téa cheered from the sidelines. "You'll show that tyrant who's boss! You'll win, I just _know_ you will!"

Seto signaled for a time-out then, and Joey was more than happy to oblige. "Thanks Téa." he huffed, sitting down beside her and taking a long draught of water from his flask. "You know," he commented after a while, changing the subject, "I haven't seen very many Duel Monsters lately, except for you guys. I wonder where they all are?"

"Dey're probably imprisoned somewhere by da Shadow Hunters." Joey answered, sitting down beside his friend and taking a swig from his own flask of water. "When we free each area da monsters _should_ come back, but so far it's been pretty quiet."

_"Adding to that, there is the fact that not many monsters live in the desert."_ Akefia commented from beside them. He was in his spirit form, laying on his back and folding his arms behind his head, leaning against Diabound's tail as he looked up at the big blue sky. "I suppose there are the 'Gravekeepers' clan, but not much else."

"We _did_ see quite a few Duel Monster spirits in your Graveyard." Isis pointed out to Diabound and to her prince. "Those monsters who were defeated in battle."

"Yeah, but I wasn't counting those." Seto answered, rubbing some water on the back of his neck to cool off. "I meant 'wild' Duel Monsters, ones who are not affiliated with our team or the Shadows." he explained. "Come to think of it, I haven't seen _any_ beasts that aren't Duel Monsters, like the thing that attacked Critias not too long ago." he mused to himself, but Mana overheard him.

"Lord Critias?" she asked, looking at the prince in a new light. "You know the three legendary knights personally?"

"Yeah. Mokuba and I are actually distant descendants of his family, as is my other brother Seth." Seto answered. "It's not really surprising, considering that we all look almost exactly alike save a few subtle differences. Seth grew up in Egypt, so he's quite a bit darker than I am, and Critias has darker blue eyes like Mokuba and blond hair instead of brown." He sighed then, looking down at his feet as he thought of his brother. "I hope that kid's all right. I'd do anything to keep him safe, make sure no harm comes to him. If Keith has hurt him in any way, I'll make sure he wishes he was never born!" he growled menacingly, tightening his hands into fists.

"Seth–" Mahaad breathed, his memories surfacing again for a brief moment. "He is one of the Guardians, correct? The former keeper of the Millennium Rod?"

"Yeah. He was also cousin and successor to the pharaoh of your time, Atem, who was your son, Akunumkanon." Seto answered, looking over at King's Knight just to see him start with surprise. "Seth is _your_ son, Akunadin."

"My _son_?" Master Monk gasped, completely taken aback at this revelation. _My _son_ was at one point _pharaoh_ of Egypt? Unbelievable!_

Just then a herd of camels passed by them on their way to the oasis, carrying bags, rolls of blankets and supplies. There were no riders, but Seto could tell that they belonged to the Shadow Hunters. Still, these camels were the first evidence of regular animals living in the Dominion of the Beasts along with Duel Monsters.

"Hey Mana? I know that the humanoid Duel Monsters are forbidden from eating the flesh of animals; that you only eat fruits, vegetables, and grains, but what do the other Duel Monsters eat? Like the dragons for example?" Seto asked, curious.

"They hunt whatever they desire, and mostly in the mountains. There are many herds of deer and other four-footed animals living in the forests near the mountain bases." she explained. "I haven't seen the dragons lately though, ever since the Legendary Knights were– captured." she looked sad as she finished, and Seto remembered what he had seen in the courtyard of the castle. A giant black obelisk stained with blood, and chained to it were the bodies of the three knights, impaled through the heart with their own swords, holding them to the monolith.

"You mentioned something once about 'when the dragons ruled in the mountains'." Seto continued, and Mana nodded. "That was a _long_ time ago, before even the Legendary Knights were exiled here and sealed in crystal. They were the most powerful, most reclusive beings. The oldest one, 'Thousand Dragon', was revered as the wisest creature in the entire Dominion. Sometimes humanoid Duel Monsters–like the spellcasters, for example–would embark on pilgrimages to his sacred mountain cave, where they would learn much from the ancient dragon, both knowledge and wisdom. They would use their gifts to help to improve the Dominion in some way. It was thanks to the dragons of old that the Castle of the Sun stands today." she imparted, causing Seto to raise his eyebrows in surprise.

"You mean that the castle was actually _built_ by the dragons?" he gasped, impressed at this new information. Dragons had to be the strongest creatures of the Duel Monsters.

"Not entirely, but they certainly helped." Mana amended her earlier statement. "They melted down the gold for the roof with their breath of fire and helped carve out the marble blocks for the walls, columns and floors with their claws. The magicians and dragons worked together to put the gold roof and turrets in place." Mana continued.

"Incredible." Seto breathed, amazed at the level that Duel Monsters could cooperate with each other, even with beings that were not their kind. "I have one question, though. The Dominion of the Beasts has existed as long as the human world, right? And royalty here is represented by a human's ranking as a duelist in our world. My question is: for whom was the Castle of the Sun built?"

"That is a good question, my prince." Mahaad smiled, speaking up when his apprentice couldn't answer. "The castle has existed for as long as the Shadow Games have, ever since the first duel between two spellcasters of the human world, and it was built in honor of the first King of Games, a human known only as Prince Eden."

"Eden?" Seto asked, the name sparking a glimmer of recognition in his mind. _Why does that name sound familiar?_

"Hey, wasn' dat da name a' da princess in dat virtual Adventure Land dat you created, Kaiba?" Joey asked suddenly, temporarily overcoming the memory block that the Bandit King had placed on him.

"No, her name was Eden_a_." Téa corrected, also overcoming the seal for a moment. "You were close though."

Seto growled suddenly, his blue eyes flashing with anger. "It was originally supposed to be Prince Eden. Those Big Five scum changed the character into a girl just to unsettle my brother when he entered the game. He was also supposed to become 'Jack's Knight', but they made her change to 'Mystical Elf' instead. It didn't affect the game-play in any way, but they still changed it to torment my little brother." Seto clenched his fist in anger, so much so that his knuckles turned white. "I meant for Eden to be a strong, capable ruler of Sim-lau, but those monsters made Adina pathetic and useless."

"Gee, now I feel bad for teasin' 'im in da game." Joey muttered to himself and drawing in the sand with his boot.

"My garden is also named after him, as the prince was the one who planted it. He grew that garden not only for his fellow duelists when they ventured to the Dominion, but for us Duel Monsters as well. And we honored him by naming the garden after him. The Garden of Eden." Mana continued, changing the subject from the depressing path it was on.

_Garden of Eden, huh?_ Seto thought to himself as they continued on out of the desert and into the mountains. Ahead he could see the stronghold at the mountains' base, shining like a gemstone in the distance. _We're getting there, Mokuba. Soon we'll free the next Guardian and come one step closer to the Shadow King and freeing you. Just hang in there kiddo._

* * *

><p>"Let's see– this might be the one." Ann Sierra mused to herself as she searched the internet for a certain phone number. She dialed the number, making sure that the translation device was secure on both ends of the telephone. The secretary answered on the second ring.<p>

"Hello, Cherry Blossom apartments. How may I direct your call?"

"Hello. This is Ann Sierra. I'm calling for 'Itonami Hana'. Could you transfer me to her room?"

"Absolutely, ma'am. One moment please." Ann half-listened to the recorded transfer music, but perked up when the phone started to ring again.

"Hanna? It's me, Mom–"

"–Hi! You've reached the residence of Itonami Hana. I'm not at home right now, but feel free to leave a message for me at the beep. I'll get back to you as soon as I can!" answered the pre-recorded machine, cutting off Mrs. Sierra's call. The woman's countenance fell when she heard that her daughter was out, and her confidence dwindled.

"Hanna–" Ann whispered, just loud enough for the machine to pick it up. "If you get this call, I just want you to know– I love you, and your Dad does too. I don't care if you have another spirit living inside your body, we just want you to come home. It's so empty in our house without you. I think the shock was just too much for us to handle at once, and that's why we told you to leave. Please. Come home."

_Beep._ "Message ended." the machine stated, and Ann hung up with a sigh. She then returned to the computer and searched for the address on Google Earth, searching Japan for the apartment building in which her daughter was living.

_Well, at least it looks like a nice part of town._ Ann thought to herself as she studied the building from the satellite's bird's-eye view.

"Honey? What are you doing?" Lee asked, and Mrs. Sierra jumped a little in surprise, as she hadn't heard her husband walk up behind her. "Oh, I was just looking around on Google Earth. I've been thinking of going on vacation somewhere. Some place far away from here, where we've never been before."

"So, you were considering Japan?" he asked skeptically, raising an eyebrow. "But we've been there." he argued. "We went there five years ago, remember?" he reminded her with a grimace. That was a vacation none of them liked to remember.

"Yeah, but I mostly wanted to check out some of their gardens this time, and there's a lot of things to see in this one city called Domino." Ann answered, only half-listening, looking on the map again and scanning around the area. "You know that one card game that Hanna was always interested in? Well it seems that this city is really big on that game. They even developed this holographic technology to bring the cards to life, so to speak."

Lee flinched at the mention of his daughter's name, but then nodded. "Yeah, I remember. She had all those cards, but she never used them, only looked at them from time to time. The last time she really _played_ with them was with–" he paused, looking down at his feet in sadness. "–her brother."

Ann's eyes widened and a tear started to form at the edge of her eyelid. _Bret–_ she thought. Their son Bret had been two years older than their daughter, and was seventeen years old when he was killed in a tragic freak-accident. He'd had cerulean blue eyes, brownish-bronze hair that was always spiky, and a thin, kind face. He had always looked after his little sister–like an older brother should–and was very protective of her. He valued fair play, and would always treat everyone with respect.

_It's been five years since he died._ Ann thought to herself. _And over a year since Hanna left. Oh, I miss them both so much._ she sobbed mentally, and the tear dripped from her eyelid and ran down her face, lingering on her jaw. _Hanna– I need to see you, even if it's for only a moment. I need to know that you're all right._

* * *

><p>"Well, we made it." Seto sighed, heaving a deep sigh of relief as they finally came to the edge of the desert. A towering fortress stood before them, raised up on a hill. <em>This reminds me of that Adventure Land too. I guess my subconscious was drawing on images from the Dominion of the Beasts when I was designing the land for that game. But at that time I had never <em>been_ to the Dominion–_

"Yep." Joey agreed, also happy to be out of the scorching sands and the blazing sun. "Dis is da next Shrine, da Stronghold. Home ta most a' da Rock-type Duel Monsters, but dere's some Machine-types too." Joey explained, also studying the sandstone temple appreciatively.

"Hey, Flame Swordsman?" Mana asked suddenly. "I don't know much about this area, as it's pretty far from my Shrine. I hardly ever come here, either. Are we gonna have to climb that mountain to get to the forest to the west?"

"Nope. We're goin' _through_ it." Joey answered, and Mana sighed in relief. "Dere's a maze o' tunnels an' caverns behind da Stronghold. Once we fight our way through dere, it should be fairly simple ta navigate through da caves."

"That's good." Mana smiled, glad that they wouldn't have to hike all the way up the mountain and all the way back down.

"We _will_ have to do some hiking when we get to the mountain range far to the west, over there in the distance." Mahaad stated, pointing with his finger to a mountain peak that looked at least twice as tall as the one before them. Seto looked in that direction too, and due to his enhanced dragon-senses, could make out something glittering on the very summit.

"Is that– a diamond castle on the mountaintop?" Seto asked the magician, not yet able to make out the smallest details on the distant structure.

"It is a temple of never-melting ice, but for all intents and purposes it might as well be carved from diamond. The density and the luster are nearly equal." Mahaad explained. Mana groaned at the thought of tramping through the snow, since her armor didn't really provide that much protection from the elements. In a way, Seto could sympathize with her. As reptiles, dragons were cold-blooded creatures, and so would fall into a hibernative state if exposed to the cold for too long. In the battle within the Temple of Ice he would have to be extra careful, as his strength would steadily decrease due to the cold temperatures.

"Who is the Guardian of Ice, anyway?" Téa asked her prince, who cupped his chin in thought. "I'm not sure, though I have a feeling that it's someone that I know very well. I don't know which of my friends is merged with which Duel Monster." he explained, looking at the seemingly-crystal cap again as he tried to see through the ice. With his enhanced vision, he could just barely make out something moving around within–and something that wasn't moving–but he couldn't tell what they were.

_"Let's get back to the present events. We'll worry more about that mountain when the time comes."_ Akefia suggested after another minute, turning his gaze back to the Stronghold. He didn't mean to sound insensitive, but the fact remained that they needed to free the Guardian of Stone first. "One thing at a time."

Everyone else nodded their agreement, including Seto, who still harbored a feeling of unease as he glanced back at the snowy summit. He definitely felt a connection to the Guardian of that temple, but he couldn't quite determine his or her identity.

…

After another half hour or so, the group finally reached the stronghold and Seto knocked on the giant oak door, not really expecting anything to happen. He was slightly surprised when the doors opened wide of their own accord, and so stepped warily into the temple, his ten friends close behind him. The entire interior was laid out like a giant jungle gym, with scaffolding criss-crossing over the entire temple. Almost immediately the shadow of some creature caught Seto's eye, and he turned to see a black-robed animal that was too small to be human swinging between the poles and bars, clearly not paying any attention to the new arrivals in the slightest.

Suddenly another black-clad figure dropped to the ground behind them, blocking the way between the Guardians and the gate. Seto automatically tensed for battle, and everyone else drew their weapons or readied themselves for a conflict.

"Well Chimp, it looks like we have some guests. Would you swing back to the tower and bring our playmate out? You know who I mean." the man requested of the smaller creature, who nodded and swung off to parts unknown. It returned after only a few minutes, carrying someone at least three times its size with its tail. Seto could hear the figure protesting, saying things like: "Get your grubby mitts and tail off me! I swear, I never wanna see another monkey _again_! First the Virtual world and now _this_? What did I do to deserve such treatment?"

"_Tristan_?" Seto breathed when 'Chimp' had released its captive. The Guardian looked up at the sound of his name, and to the prince's surprise, recognized him. "Kaiba? What're _you_ doing here?"

"Right now? Saving you. I'm trying to free all the Guardians and rescue my brother. Keith's gonna regret the day he decided to mess with the Kaiba family, and when he conquered the Dominion." Seto growled, his hatred for the Shadow King flaring once again.

"Well, thanks." Tristan answered. "I got another question, though. How come everyone's dressed as Duel Monsters? And Bakura, what's with that Diabound costume?"

_"It's not a costume."_ Akefia answered. _"The souls of the Guardians were merged with their Ka, or favorite Duel Monsters. My guess is that the monster that you most identify with is 'Cyber Commander'. The Dragon Prince is slowly taking back the Dominion and regaining his strength by defeating the Shadow Hunters. Eventually he'll be powerful enough to take on the King himself, and rid this land of his evil once and for all."_

Seto looked back at the Guardian of Souls in surprise, not expecting such kind words from the former Thief King. Turning back to the Guardian of Stone, Seto asked, "So how come your memories weren't erased like everyone else's?"

Tristan shrugged. "I overheard some of those Shadow Hunters talking about those Orichalcos bracelets. They said that they only had twenty or so of them, so they wouldn't have enough for all the Guardians. I guess they figured I wasn't worth their time." he scowled.

"That's good news." Seto answered, and Tristan looked at him indignantly. "It means they're getting lazy and sloppy. Which will make defeating them even easier." he grinned, angering the Shadow Hunter that stood before him.

"Oo-oo-oo! That's it, you're gonna regret making a monkey out of me!" Abe growled, throwing back his hood just as his marsupial companion perched on his shoulder.

"All right, all right. Let's settle this with a duel. Don't go bananas." Seto taunted, grinning evilly at his opponent. He remembered this joker from the KC Grand Prix, and how easily Rebecca Hawkins had defeated him on the Ferris wheel in Kaibaland.

"Battle City rules. 4000 Life Points." Abe spat, activating his Duel Disk. Seto did the same, changing his training blade into his own version of the technology that he'd designed.

"My turn! I draw. What now, Card Monkey? You're the smart one." Abe muttered to his 'partner'. The monkey pulled one card from Abe's hand. "I summon 'Battle Ox' [1700/1000] in Attack mode, and I place two cards face down." he announced as an ox in red armor with a battle axe appeared with a bellow and the two face-down cards appeared between the beast and the man.

"My turn then." Seto growled, pulling the card from his deck with a flourish. "I play the Spell card 'Cost Down'. This lets me lower one monster's level by two in my hand for this turn. And with that I summon 'Dark Magician Girl' [2000/1700]!" Mana jumped into place in front of her duelist, rewarding him with an impish grin, which he returned.

"Ready to go, my prince!" The female magician announced, twirling her staff like a baton.

He nodded. "Attack Battle Ox with 'Dark Burning Attack'!" Seto ordered. Mana let fly the magic from her staff with a grin, and her smile widened when the hulking beast was reduced to pixels.

Abe grimaced as he lost 300 of his Life points, and savagely shoved a trap card into one of the slots in response. "I play the Trap card 'Monkey Protector' (made up card)!" Abe called. "This lets me summon 'Acrobat Monkey' [1000/1800] in Defense mode." The small monkey-like robot appeared a second later. It was light blue and silver in color, but had a point on its head exactly like the current Guardian of Stone.

"What the heck?!" Tristan yelled, quite annoyed at the monster's appearance. "Why do you have that thing in your deck?!"

"It's a monkey. Duh. That's kinda my theme, if you hadn't noticed." Came Abe's snarky answer.

"I don't care if it's a puppy!" Tristan shouted back, clearly affronted. This caused Joey to glare at his friend. "Hey! Watch it, Tristan! You know how I feel about dat 'Mutt' ting!"

Seto smirked to himself. _Amusing as always. I never get tired of watching his reactions. That's the only reason I call him that all the time._ he thought, shaking his head at the fond memories.

"All right, that's enough, you two." Isis chided, clearly impatient and eager to get out of the hot sun. "Let the Prince duel. You can argue later."

Seto began his turn when Abe nodded, indicating his turn was over. "I summon 'Mystical Elf' [100/2000] in Defense mode, and place a couple cards face-down. That's all for this turn." Seto concluded, sending a thankful smile at Isis, who merely nodded and knelt in front of him, muttering her Defense mode prayer.

"My turn, then!" Abe called, drawing his next card. The monkey pulled out one of the cards still in Abe's hand. "I summon 'Gene-Warped Warwolf' [2000/100] and equip 'Mystical Moon' to it, raising its attack by 300 points!" The white wolf-man monster flexed its four arms as its strength increased when the full moon appeared above it.

"Oh boy." Joey grimaced, worried now. The warwolf was quite a bit stronger than his friend Mana now, and with 2300 Attack points, it would also be able to destroy Isis.

"Gene-Warped Warwolf, attack Dark Magician Girl!" Abe ordered dramatically. The wolf ran at Mana with a howl, and Mana braced herself for the attack, no fear in her emerald eyes.

Seto wasn't having that, however. "I play the Spell card, 'Magical Pigeon'!" Seto called, activating the card by pressing a button on his disk. Mana looked relieved as she waved her staff and turned herself into two white pigeons. However, her attack and defense points dropped to 0 because of her trick.

Continuing his turn, Abe plugged another card into the appropriate slot. "I play the spell card, 'Shield and Sword'! This switches all our monsters to the opposite mode! Now 'Acrobat Monkey', attack his weak 'Mystical Elf' and deal him some damage!" Abe called nastily as the mechanical marsupial sprang into action with a metallic shriek.

"I play the Spell card, 'Shrink'!" Seto called, interrupting the robot and making it pause. Then it screeched in anger as it shrank in size and points [1800/1000 – 900/1000]. He grimaced in guilt as the weakened robot still destroyed Isis, and doubled over in pain as 800 Life Points twisted out of his back and evaporated into the air. Though he was breathing hard, Seto still managed to growl, "And I activate the Spell card, 'De-Spell'. So bye-bye, 'Shield and Sword'!" he smirked as Abe grimaced, removing his card and sending it to the Graveyard.

"I place a card face-down and end my turn." Abe finished his turn with a smirk. He was in the lead again as far as Life Points were concerned.

"Because you ended your turn, Dark Magician Girl comes back to the field." Seto announced calmly as if nothing had happened to him. Mana reappeared in a puff of smoke, grinning and twirling her staff again. _I have to end this quickly._ Seto thought. _To do that I'll need another monster with more than 2000 Attack points or two that can equal or add up to more than 3000._ Seto thought, looking at his hand and then at the Guardians he had 'enlisted'.

"My turn starts for real now." Seto drew a card. "First I play the Spell card 'Pot of Greed' and get two more cards. Then I play 'Sage's Stone' to summon 'Dark Magician' [2500/2000] to the field!" Mahaad materialized with a smirk next to his apprentice and younger sister, who smirked back in greeting.

"Next I play the Spell card 'Dark Burning Attack'! This destroys all your monsters and leaves you wide open for a direct assault!" Seto called as Mana let the magic of the spell charge in her staff before letting it fly at Abe's monsters, blowing them up. "Now Mahaad! Attack with 'Dark Magic Attack' and Mana, you follow with your 'Dark Burning Attack'!" Both magicians grinned at each other, then cast their magical attacks one after the other at their prince's opponent.

* * *

><p>"EEEEEEEEEEEEEK!" Abe and Chimp screeched angrily in unison as the duel concluded, the taller being's Life Points ticking down to zero. Seto was busy equipping his cubitieres to each elbow, securing the plates to the rerebraces that protected his upper arms, so he wasn't paying attention to the Shadow Hunter as he was dragged down into the crimson seal on the ground. In fact, he was ignoring him completely.<p>

"You'll regret this, Seto Kaiba! I swear to it! I. Will. Be. Avenged!" he roared as he disappeared like all the others.

"Not likely." Seto muttered to himself as he transformed his Duel Disk back into a sparring blade and delivered a swift stroke to the rope that bound two of the wooden scaffolding bars together. After a quick look at the structures, he could see that the temple was not connected to any part of the giant jungle gym. The whole construct shuddered, then gradually broke apart and collapsed into neat piles of wood, guided by the magic of the dragon hero. Without all of the bars and planks filling the sanctuary, the temple of stone looked quite a bit bigger than it had previously, and it was now much more open. Seto nodded in approval, and Tristan remarked, "Yep. It looks a lot better now. Thanks Kaiba."

"No problem. It's all part of my job." Seto answered, smiling at his friend. He took in a deep breath of cool fresh air and exhaled slowly, enjoying the light, playful breeze as it swept by them. The stronghold really did look a lot better without all the scaffolding in the way. As the now-familiar power boost surged through him and increased his strength, he made some mental calculations in his head. _Let's see– with that power boost, I'm now up to 1680 ATK and 1400 DEF. After we free the next Guardian and get another piece of my armor, I'll be about as strong as Joey._ he thought to himself. _After that there will be only a few more points to go, and a few more armor pieces as well._ He felt worried that so far he hadn't heard anything about his family–save for Mokuba–but he did not dwell on that. He would free this land–as well as his friends and family–no matter what the cost.

Joey decided spur-of-the-moment that he did not want to journey through the caverns behind the stronghold at night, and so built a large campfire for all of his friends to sit around. Seto joined the gathering after a minute, roasting a fruit-filled scone over the flames to warm it up. Across from him were seated Flame Swordsman and the newest addition to their company, Cyber Commander. It was almost as if Joey had broken out of his memory block altogether, as the two were getting along as if they'd known each other for years. Tristan still had all of his memories from his true life in the human world, so he was a bit confused that the others hadn't recognized him. Seto explained the situation to him, and after a moment, he nodded. The Guardian knew that once those Orichalcos bracelets were fastened on, they could not be removed, even by the one who had placed them.

Tristan found he could sympathize with Kaiba a bit more now than in the past. He knew what the young CEO was going through–or a bit of it anyway–because his situation was much the same. They were both trapped in an unfamiliar world, and both were fighting to free their friends and family members from the hands of the villains; in this case, Bandit Keith and his legions of Shadow Hunters.

_He really _does_ look like a hero with that fancy dragon armor. And he's changed so much since we first ran into him in eighth grade at Domino High. Can't believe that he's actually the same person as that evil rich kid that organized Death-T and sent all those goons after us all the time_ [See Season 0]_._ _He actually shows his vulnerable side once in a while, and his compassionate side. I never thought I'd say this, but Kaiba's turned into a really good friend._

* * *

><p><span>End of chapter 11<span>

Next chapter teaser: The Northern Forest

Whew! That took a long time! Sorry to keep you waiting for so long!

I totally made that up with Prince Eden, but hey, this is a _fan_fiction. I can write whatever I want. XD

PLOT TWIST AHOY! It seems that Hanna had an older brother, but he's deceased now. This series is sounding more and more like a bad soap opera, but then again, who doesn't love a bad soap opera? And Mrs. Sierra is trying to reconnect with her daughter after the disastrous fiasco a couple years ago. [See 'Flower of Life'] Wonder if it'll work out?

And there's _another_ plot twist! It seems Bandit Keith didn't think Tristan was worth 'wasting' an Orichalcos bracelet on. Big mistake.

–Don't get me wrong, Tristan is one of my favorite characters. _Keith_ was the one who decided to skip him. Blame my muses, not the author.

On a brighter note, I once again have a cowriter! Thank 'dragonwolf416' for the sweet duel! Hope you agree with the changes I made!

I shall strive not to take as long with the next chapter, but you never know when life decides to give you lemons.

See you next time!

Tsunami Storm/Itonami Hana


	12. The Northern Forest

Empire of Shadows, a YuGiOh! fanfic by Tsunami Storm

Chapter 12: The Northern Forest

* * *

><p>Bandit Keith paced angrily in his throne room before the dais, scowling to himself. Over <em>half<em> of his supposedly-elite Shadow Hunters had been defeated now, and Ryushiro was little by little regaining his draconian strength and liberating the lands under the power of his shadows.

He just happened to glance out the window during one of his passes, out to the courtyard where the black obelisk stood as a monument to his ill-gotten power. Above, the skies bled crimson, more testament to his reign of terror. A wicked smile spread across his face.

"Perfect!" he crowed, grinning wickedly down at the structure and the three figures that were chained to it and encased in crystal. "Soon I shall have three new servants to stand against that rebel and his pathetic team of 'Guardians'." He frowned suddenly. "Of course, the magic of the Orichalcos will not work on these three, but that is not the _only_ magic now I possess as the Millennium King of the Shadows!"

He concentrated and gripped the Ring around his neck, and a servant of the darkness appeared before him. 'Vilepawn Archfiend' bowed and knelt respectfully before him.

"Tell your master that his presence is requested in my castle. Tell him that I will make it _well_ worth his while."

The dark servant nodded and bowed again before disappearing. Keith howled a maniacal laugh to the ceiling. "Let's see you get past _this_, Ryushiro!"

* * *

><p>"Ah, it feels so good to be surrounded by trees and forests again! I've missed this!" Mana exclaimed happily, spinning and dancing in a small clearing. Seto smiled as he watched the enthusiastic spellcaster twirl around, feeling himself growing fonder of her each day they traveled together.<p>

"Yeah, it's nice ta finally get outta dat scorching desert and subsequent _freezing_ cave." Joey agreed with his friend. "Back to a more _moderate_ climate."

"This coming from the Guardian whose shrine is an _active volcano_." he whispered aside to Tristan, who snorted. Isis giggled as well, and the young man in question turned around to ask what was so funny. Seto just shook his head, and the friends carried on deeper into the forest.

"I can sense many life signatures all around us." Isis smiled a short while later as they continued. "This forest is home to many creatures, both Duel Monsters and regular animals alike. I guess they do not yet realize that their home in the south has been restored."

Seto nodded silently, perturbed and on-edge for some time now, but he didn't want to say anything and alarm his friends. He'd been hearing an unsettling buzzing noise for about an hour now, and it was really starting to bug him. [Pun intended.]

...

After a good while of walking, the trees began to seem more tightly knit, blocking the filtered light that shone down from the canopy overhead. Mana ceased her dancing and walked beside her duelist, slightly apprehensive as their path grew darker and darker ahead.

Suddenly Seto looked up, and wished he hadn't. The trees were absolutely covered with myriads of webs and nests, out of which crawled innumerable Insect-type Duel Monsters. _Jeez._ Seto thought._ It's like Mirkwood forest in J. R. R. Tolkien's '__The Hobbit'._

"Well, I think it's obvious who the Shadow Hunter of this area is. Nagumo mentioned him when we freed Mana's shrine. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that he's been corrupted by the power of the Orichalcos again." Seto commented wryly, rolling his eyes at the thought of battling this sub-par duelist.

"What's _that_ supposed to mean, Ryushiro?" A nasally voice sneered as none other than Weevil Underwood stepped out from behind the trees, cloaked as his fellows but masked with a cowl in the shape of a scarab beetle. "This magic gives me more power than you could ever imagine!" he crowed.

"That card and magic is pure evil. Didn't you learn your lesson last time? You know, when it stole your _soul_? Twice?" Seto asked incredulously. _Is he really _that_ desperate? Is the power of the Orichalcos _that_ intoxicating?_

"I'm sick and tired of being the butt of everyone's jokes! It stinks!" Weevil screeched. "I used to be the Regional Champion in Duel Monsters before that stupid starfish-headed kid came along in Duelist Kingdom. And then I was made to look like an amateur when I lost to that overgrown dueling _monkey_ in Battle City!"

"Hey! I resent dat 'monkey' comment!" Joey seethed and Seto smirked, remembering how he'd teased Joey about that for years. _Good times._ he recalled fondly. Then he thought about what else his opponent had said, and miles away in the Castle, Kuriboh sneezed, puffing out his fur more than it already was. _Yugi's hair is certainly unique. Where'd he get the idea for _that_ hairstyle?_ Then he remembered that Atem had the same style, and he'd lived thousands of years before anyone had even _heard_ of hair gel. _Guess it's genetic. And now that I think about it, Dr. Mutou's is pretty close as well._

Seto shook his head to return his thoughts to the matter at hand, then called, "Let's just get this over with, shall we? Battle City rules, 4000 Life Points." he stated, getting tired of determining the rules every time.

"Not so fast, Ryushiro!" Weevil shouted. "Since _you_ issued the challenge, _I_ get to pick the rules! And I choose 'Duelist Kingdom' ruling, at 2000 Life Points apiece!"

Seto shrugged nonchalantly. "Fine by me. If you want to hasten your demise, then be my guest." He transformed the wooden sparring sword at his hip into a Duel Disk, and Weevil activated his own Dark Disk, grinning sinisterly at his opponent.

"Um– Seto?" Mana asked shyly at that moment, and the young man turned to face her. "I've never battled under any rules other than the ones used in your 'Battle City' tournament. How do these ones work?"

Seto smiled wryly at her. "Actually, your master might be able to explain this to you better than I can, since he's fought in more of these battles than I have. But essentially there's no tributes required to summon stronger creatures, and there's something known as a 'Field Power bonus' that a player gets by placing his or her monsters in a specific section. Their stats get boosted by 20% or something like that." he explained. "Though it probably won't affect any of you since we're deep in the forest, where his insects thrive."

"That's right!" Weevil sneered nastily. "I learn from my mistakes. I lured you deep into my web so that there would be no chance of a repeat performance of my duel with his royal shortness, the 'pharaoh'. The advantage was supposed to be mine alone!" he seethed.

"That is only because you cheated and stole the tournament's rules and read them before anyone else. There is no honor amongst deceivers and cheaters." Mahaad growled, angered by the affront against his best friend and former king.

"You call it cheating, I call it 'strategy'. It makes little difference, for now you will all fall before the ravages of my magnificent insect hordes!"

* * *

><p>–Insert Duel Here–<p>

* * *

><p>"So, mind telling me why you never told us that you're brother and sister?" Seto asked Isis and Karim, who looked a bit sheepish and smiled guiltily at their duelist.<p>

"Because there was never any reason to before now." Karim answered. "We'd thought it was common knowledge. Among our group of Guardians, anyway. We'd informed Pharaoh Akunumkanon, master Shimon, and the other Guardians when we joined their ranks."

"Not Atem?" Seto asked, surprised. He'd thought he'd be one of the _first_ to know.

Isis looked down. "We'd fully intended to inform him after the coronation ceremony and the Festival of the Pharaohs, but then everything started happening too fast and we never had the chance to speak with him." she explained, still bashful.

Seto nodded. "Isn't that really rare, to have both Ka and Ba be related?" he asked. "I've never heard of it happening before."

"It _is_ rare, but not unheard of, my prince." Mahaad answered. "In fact, I can think of another example where both Ka and Ba are brother and sister, though these two are not twins like Isis and Karim." he explained.

Seto grinned. "You wouldn't happen to be talking about yourself and Mana, would you?"

Mahaad nodded. "I am. My Ka–the 'Illusion Magician'–and Mana's, the 'Dark Magician Girl', are siblings, one being about eight years older than the other. And the same is true for us." he put his arm around his little sister's shoulders and gave her a gentle side-hug in a rare display of affection.

"Dat's why yer armor looks so similar." Joey interjected. "It's because you're both related." Mahaad nodded.

Karim looked up at that. "That reminds me." he looked to his liberator and removed two silvery objects from his hands and returned them to their rightful owner. "These are yours." he stated, handing the gauntlets to the dragon-prince, who accepted them with a nod of thanks. He stretched at the influx of power, breathing in deeply as his strength grew to 1920 Attack and 1600 Defense points. _I'm getting there, Mokuba. Slowly but surely._

"I _knew_ I'd felt a bond with you, Master!" Mana laughed as she hugged him back. Mahaad chuckled. "I missed you too, little sister. You and Mother. You have no idea how happy I was to see you again when you too came to the palace city to study magic."

"I remember it was quite lonely at home, with just Mom and me. We didn't have Father anymore, and you were far away studying to become a Sacred Guardian. You were always good at magic, even back then."

Mahaad smiled at the praise, then turned to Isis and started speaking with her, Mana listening closely. Joey kept glancing at Karim when the Guardian wasn't looking, but would turn away every time the man would look up. Finally he gathered enough courage to speak up. "I'm sorry. About da forest to da south."

"What?" Celtic Guardian asked, but then smiled gently. "It wasn't your fault. I do not blame _you _for its destruction. Besides, it's already grown back stronger and better than before. No permanent damage has been done. The beasts and Duel Monsters that once lived there will eventually return. In fact I'm surprised they haven't already."

"Dey'll return eventually. Afta we give da Shadow King a world-class butt-kickin'!" Joey answered, and Seto nodded. "Well said, Joey. Well said."

* * *

><p><span>End of chapter 12<span>

Next chapter teaser: The Golden Pyramid

FINALLY! You guys wouldn't _believe_ all the _trouble_ this chapter gave me! I was just about finished with it, and then my laptop dropped off my lap in the car and snapped off my flash drive, which had my only copy of this on it, plus a bunch of other stuff on it that wasn't saved somewhere else. Good thing I have a good memory. So basically I had to rewrite everything from scratch. _Blech!_ Anyway, you have the chapter now, so I'm done with it. No complaining!

So big surprise, Keith has allied himself with the Fiend-Type Duel Monsters to take over the entire Dominion. I guess they're not content with just the Dark World anymore. I see a giant living chess match in your future, Seto. [Whoops! Spoilers!]

And _more_ plot twists! Karim and Isis are twin brother and sister, and the two Dark Magicians are siblings as well! Who'da thunk it, huh?

Anyway, Seto's about as strong as Joey now, so he's that much closer to rescuing Mokuba and the rest of the Dominion. Speaking of which, we haven't heard from him in a while. Maybe I should start with _him_ in the next chapter–

Until then, sayonara!

Tsunami Storm


	13. The Golden Pyramid

Empire of Shadows, a loong YuGiOh! fanfic by Tsunami Storm

Chapter 13: The Golden Pyramid

* * *

><p>Once again, Keith Howard could be found pacing angrily before his ill-gotten throne, his hands folded behind his back. He should have known that he couldn't trust that sub-rate bug brawler to win, even though he had used the power of the Orichalcos before. His stock of Shadow Hunters was getting alarmingly low, and he knew he would be facing the dragon-hero himself before long. However, the most pressing matter on his mind was the absence of a Guardian of the Golden Pyramid. Originally he had assumed that the Dominion had chosen one of Kaiba's 'friends', that old man from Ancient Egypt who once held the Millennium Key, but it seemed that was not the case. That man had a powerful Ka to be sure, yet he was not a Guardian of a Shrine.<p>

Keith scoffed to himself. There was no fun in defeating such an old fossil anyway. The new Guardian of the Pyramid–at least, from what the Shadows had told him–was far younger than Shimon, and indeed had wielded a Millennium Item in the past.

"Maybe _that's_ where the Rod went." Keith mused to himself. "It may have sensed the danger, and fled back to a previous master. In any case, I've been looking for _any_ opportunity to get my revenge on that brat for ever thinking that he could use me like some puppet!" He growled aloud at the unpleasant memory, though at the time he'd had no idea what he was doing. Gripping the Millennium Ring around his neck, he used his stolen power to summon a group of his most terrifying servants, mindless beasts that only answered to magic older than even Atlantis.

"Go forth and fetch, my servants." Keith commanded. "There's a certain Guardian we're missing, and I would just _hate_ for him to miss a trip down memory lane." he smirked, and the monsters growled their menacing laughter with him. Keith found the irony of it all deeply amusing. This Guardian had been raised in a tomb his whole life in the human world, why not remind him of his wonderful childhood in the Dominion as well?

"You're going to learn the hard way that no one messes with Bandit Keith and gets away with it, Marik Ishtar!"

* * *

><p>"Sister! Where do you want these manuscripts again?" Malik called to Ishizu as he lifted a box of ancient scrolls to transport somewhere. The young woman was hard at work on her computer in the living room.<p>

"In the study please, Malik." came the reply, and the young man nodded. Even though the Pharaoh had returned and regained his memories–thus freeing the Tomb Keepers from their duty–there were still many things about his rule, his predecessor's and his successor's that he still did not–but should–know. The young family was dutifully archiving the ancient manuscripts on modern technology so that they would not be lost to time. This was a very special task, as nearly all of the ancient documents were fragile and could fall apart at any moment.

"Got it." Malik answered, carrying the box to the designated room. Suddenly he felt a prickling feeling on the back of his neck, an unwelcome feeling that sent a shiver down his spine. Not for the first time, he wished that the Millennium Rod had actually _chosen_ him when he'd claimed it at ten years old. That way he could protect his brother and sister from the dangers of this world. He'd been feeling uneasy ever since Seth, Kisara and Noah had disappeared while they were touring Egypt with the former Tomb Keepers. He was worried about his friends in Domino, and that worry had only grown over time to become outright dread.

_Almost all of the past Guardians are missing, and the present Bearers are gone too. The only one they left out is Shimon, but I can't figure out why. Who could be next?_ he agonized, worry fogging his mind as he transferred the boxes of documents to the study, looking almost like a robot or a zombie.

An ear-splitting, grating roar of some horrible creature jolted his mind back to the present, and he jumped as Odion and Ishizu came running into the front room where he was standing. Again Malik wished he still possessed the Rod, but wishing didn't make the situation any better. Not one, not two, but _five_ hulking monsters stood in front of the Ishtar residence, pounding at the door with their over-sized fists. A strange symbol marked their foreheads, and their eyes glowed blood-red in their sockets. Their bodies were a uniform color of mud-brown, with only dirty loincloths and spiked collars at their necks, wrists and ankles for clothing.

"These creatures–" Ishizu gasped. "I remember seeing them on the television two years ago. They are Orichalcos Gigas, and they are not easily destroyed. But why would they come here?" she breathed, horror twisting her normally calm face.

Realization struck like a bolt of lightning._They're after _me_._ Malik gasped mentally. _Whoever's causing trouble in the Dominion of the Beasts has it out for me, that's why these ugly things are attacking us. If I can get them away from the house, they might leave Ishizu and Odion alone. If it's _me_ they want, then it's me they'll get!_ he thought confidently, pulling his deck out of his pocket and running to the side door, shooting a brief apology and explanation back to his horror-struck siblings.

"Master Malik! Don't do this! It's too dangerous!" Odion cried, fearing for his adopted younger brother.

"They want _me_ Odion, not you and Ishizu. I'll lead them away from the house. And don't worry. I'm not going down without giving those guys a good butt-kicking!" Malik called back as he raced out the door, summoning one of his monsters with his Duel Disk. He knew from the ancient manuscripts that his family, the Ishtar clan, had magic in their blood, and that _four _of its members had possessed Millennium Items in the past. Isis, Karim, Mahaad and Mana, though the last two were from a separate branch of the clan. Pharaoh Seth had entrusted the keeping of Atem's secret to Mana and her descendants, as she was the only one he could trust with such a secret. All the others had perished in the Shadow War or did not have magic in their blood. He had not decreed that they should live underground, however. That mistaken belief had been added to their duty over the generations.

"Revival Jam [1500/500]! Protect the house and my family!" Malik cried as the blob of jelly appeared in a burst of light. "Felgrand Dragon [2800/2800]! Help me make these freaks sorry they ever messed with the Ishtars!"

The golden dragon that appeared resembled a thinner Winged Dragon of Ra, but looked no less impressive as it roared at the beasts that dared attack its master and his family. It reared back and spat a column of flames at the nearest monster, who exploded with a violent _BOOM_, taking three of its fellows with it. Malik smirked in triumph, but it soon faded as the same four monsters clawed their way out of the sand, bigger and uglier than they were before.

"Great. Now I get why Sister said they're nearly impossible to destroy." Malik growled to himself, then backed up to lead the creatures away from his house and siblings. "Up for a little game of 'cat-and-mouse', freaks? Then come and get me!" he taunted as he ran, receiving several enraged roars as his answer.

…

Malik found himself surrounded by the five hulking monsters, now at least ten times bigger and stronger than when they'd first appeared. Revival Jam had returned to his deck a while ago, and only Felgrand Dragon was staunchly defending his master. Malik was focusing on the biggest and ugliest Orichalcos Gigas, so he didn't notice one of the smaller ones creeping up behind him. Without warning, it threw its fist with all its might into the center of the young man's back. Malik gasped as he felt his spine crack in multiple places, and his head snapped backwards from the whiplash effect. He fell to his knees, then collapsed face-first on the ground, Felgrand Dragon fading from the human realm with a roar of outrage mixed with pain. Outrage that the monsters would use such a dirty trick, and pain that its master had fallen and it hadn't been able to protect him. The Orichalcos Gigas grunted their glee and disappeared through a portal to the Dominion, and the biggest one picked up the unconscious Guardian and tossed him unceremoniously over its shoulder to carry to their master.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile–<p>

"Is it just me, or is it getting hotter the farther we walk?" Seto asked of no one in particular as they continued in their quest. Mahaad smiled wryly. "It's not just you, my prince. This area of the Dominion has always been rather arid, not unlike the desert to the southeast that we passed through not long ago. Not much rain falls here, and even when it does, it does not stay for long."

"And there's no shelter from the sun to speak of in this area, apart from the shrine." Mana added. "We're just going to have to grin and bear it, I guess." she grimaced theatrically, and Seto smiled gently at her, appreciating her attempt to cheer him up.

"Speakin' of which, what's da shrine in dis area again?" Joey asked the Dark Magician Girl, but it was the newest addition to their company–the Celtic Guardian Karim–who spoke. "The Golden Pyramid. It is said to have been built in the human realm by a mysterious Guardian known only as Shadi, and contains an entirely separate dimension within its depths. One populated by Duel Monsters, but resembling Capsule Monsters more than the ancient Shadow Games with which we are familiar."

"So _this_ is where it went!" Seto smiled in intrigue, and looked back at Cyber Commander Tristan, who looked impressed. "Should've known Shadi wouldn't destroy it so easily. That was actually a really cool adventure in hindsight." the gunman admitted, lost in memories.

"Wonder who the Guardian is, though." Dark Witch Téa mused. "I get the feeling that it's someone from Egypt, but I don't know who."

"The Guardian of this shrine changed very recently." Mahaad spoke up, causing everyone to look at him in interest. "Up until a few years ago in the human realm, the Guardian was Exodia the Forbidden One, but now it has shifted to another. I know not the identity of the monster, nor of its Ba, its 'master' in the human realm."

_I guess Shimon was the previous Guardian,_ Seto thought to himself, _since his Ka is Exodia. But why would it change? Is Shimon too old to be a Guardian anymore? Maybe his Ka is just too powerful. It gives its holder an instant win in duels if they manage to summon it to the field, after all. That's got to be it. _Then another thought occurred to him._ And I doubt Bandit Keith would bother with capturing Shimon. It's not his style. He'd want to bully someone younger than him. Maybe the new Guardian is Ishtar. Keith has a reason to hate _him_. But what would his Ka be? Surely it's not the Winged Dragon of Ra! –Although that'd be pretty cool. I'd have an Egyptian _God_ on my side!_

He was jolted from his musings when he noticed their surroundings had changed. Instead of walking on sand, he was surprised to find that their route had become a sandstone brick path flanked by palm trees, leading all the way to a titanic structure in the distance. The pyramid looked as if it were made from enormous bricks of solid gold, and shone like the sun before their eyes. An enormous Eye of Wdjat molded right into the side of the pyramid stared back at them. It reminded the hero of the symbol on the Millennium Puzzle, but this pyramid was the right way up. Seto had to cast a 'Yami' spell around himself and his companions to avoid being blinded by the brightness, especially considering his enhanced dragon senses.

They reached the entrance to the tomb just as the sun touched the horizon, and Seto removed the spell from around them and took a drink of water from his flask to replenish his energy. Joey crafted some makeshift torches out of the reeds that grew around the palms, and lit them with his Flaming Sword of Battle. Seto carried one at the head of the group, Mahaad another, Joey another, and Téa brought up the rear, using her Shining Spear as a light source.

The travelers eventually came to a fork in their 'road', finding two staircases that led up and down respectively. Tristan remembered that the downward staircase led to the Capsule Monsters game, and that the upward staircase led to the 'reward chamber'. Seto guessed that the latter was where the Shadow Hunter would be hiding. He led the way up the right staircase and stopped at the top, where a strange, slightly amusing sight met his eyes.

The Shadow Hunter wasn't any cause for concern, as he recognized his spiky white hair and gaunt physique from Battle City and knew that Atem had defeated him easily. What made him smirk a bit was the sight of the Guardian. The monster was a 'Revival Jam' [1500/500], but it had molded itself into an exact copy of the youngest Ishtar family member, though he was blue and wobbly like gelatin. The young 'man' wore some blob-clothing in the style of the ancient Egyptians, just a simple skirt about his waist and a sash to tie it. His chest and feet were bare. ["It's not girly to wear a skirt, men wore these too!" –Malik]

Tristan snickered. "I know I shouldn't laugh, but Malik looks ridiculous like that."

The blob grimaced. "I've heard that enough from these robed freaks. I don't need it from my fellow _Guardians_ too." Malik growled, his blue face turning a shade darker with embarrassment. Then he grinned evilly. "Just be glad I made some blob clothes with this form. Normally Revival Jam doesn't wear anything."

Now it was Tristan's [and the girls'] turn to change color as Seto and Joey snorted. "Nice one, Ishtar." the dragon-warrior grinned at the Guardian, who looked smug. But then the hero noticed something disturbing about the Guardian that made his smirk disappear. A band of solid matter around Malik's waist was encircled by another Orichalcos bracelet, just like all of the other Guardians so far besides Tristan.

Malik looked down in shame. "The Shadow King froze my midsection with a spell of never-melting ice and locked this bracelet around it. Since it's part of my body, I can't just get rid of it and still hope to function normally. If I did, it would look really freaky. I'd be missing my whole waist. And because it's frozen solid, I can't mold it into any shape I want. And the only way it will melt is if you get this Ra-damned bracelet off me first." he added to Joey, who was about to suggest they melt the ice with his Fire alignment.

"Well, we know we can't do that." Seto grimaced. "I've tried removing those bracelets using just about every method I can think of. Nothing works. I don't think there's any way in the world to remove those things once they're attached to you." he said sadly, and Malik looked down in defeat.

"Enough of your sob stories, dragon-boy!" the Shadow Hunter barked, tired of being ignored. "You want to free your friend from his shackles, physical and metaphorical? You'll have to get through me first!"

"Like I haven't heard _that_ before." Seto growled while rolling his eyes, activating his Duel Disk at the same time.

"Battle City rules–" the Hunter began, but Seto cut him off. "4000 Life Points. I know the drill. I've defeated twelve of you clowns already, so the terms are kinda second nature by now."

"You'll find that I'm a cut above those other losers, Kaiba! Even without Exodia, I can still wipe the floors with you and your pathetic deck! If you ask me, your other one was better." he taunted, trying to get a rise out of at least a few of the Guardians and possibly their leader. Seto just glared at him, not bothering to grace the comment with a response.

That's not to say that all of Seto's companions had the same self-control as he did. "What'd you jus' call us? Come over here an' say dat ta my fist, ya jerk!" Flame Swordsman exploded, once again displaying his hot temper for the umpteenth time. [Pardon the pun.]

Seto just rolled his eyes at his companion's short fuse, then answered, "My regular deck in the human world has a different focus than this one. My strategy in the human world is usually beating down my opponents with raw power. But this world doesn't need _another_ oppressive overlord. My deck of Guardians is meant to help_ fix_ this world, not make it worse. Besides, my deck here isn't complete yet, so to a beginner's eye it might _look_ a _bit_ weak, but only at first glance."

Mahaad grinned. "Well said, my prince." he complimented, gratitude in his teal eyes for the subtle compliment Seto had just given all of 'his' monsters. The grin was a reaction to the subtle insult directed at their opponent.

"Oh that's it! Your little 'quest' ends here, Kaiba!" Seeker snarled, activating his own Dark Disk.

"Bring it on." Kaiba challenged with a grin, his personal magic flaring in his eyes in excitement for the impending battle.

* * *

><p>Elsewhere–<p>

The suited man paced back and forth angrily before his captive, wondering how in the mortal and dead worlds the Guardian had managed to claim the artifact in his possession and keep it from his master for so long. He wondered also how the beast/man was able to survive freezing himself into the very walls of the Temple of Ice itself, surrounding himself with nearly twenty feet of solid, never-melting ice on all sides. He knew that the soul within the Guardian had not been accustomed to sub-zero temperatures in his previous life, and the beast itself was not suited for the cold either. Just the opposite in fact. Both Guardian and Ka had existed in Ancient Egypt, where the coldest it got was in the single digits (ºF).

"Not so." a faint growl sounded behind the man, and he wheeled around in surprise to find 'Darkbishop Archfiend' [300/1400] watching him and his 'prisoner'. "Duos is a powerful swordsman, but he is most known in our world for his psychic abilities. He often meditates on the peaks of the coldest mountains, training both his mind and his body, though for what purpose no one can really say. Only _he_ knows the methods behind his madness." And with that cryptic bit of information, the fiend-type monster disappeared into shadows, once again leaving the man and his captive alone in the Temple of Ice.

…

Inside his self-inflicted ice prison, Duos meditated in a deep, coma-like trance, awaiting the day when the dragon-prince would ascend the peak of the mountain and free this shrine from the darkness that now gripped it. He could sense that the warrior and his fellow Guardians were near, perhaps even in the Shrine to the west of his mountain, and the spirit of the Guardian within him swelled with joy and pride. Joy in the fact that he would soon see his spiritual brother again, and pride as he sensed how much his descendant had accomplished already, in so short a time.

"_Seto,"_ the Guardian prayed._ "Be safe, and may the Gods go with you in your journey."_

* * *

><p>"It can't be! It's impossible! How could I lose to such a pathetic and incomplete deck as this?! This can't be happening! AAARRGH!" Seeker raged as he fell to his knees within the circle of blood-red light that encompassed him and was slowly shrinking around him. Seto was too busy equipping his reclaimed vambraces to his forearms, and didn't notice as Seeker lost his soul to the magic he'd thought would bring him victory.<p>

"I swear there's still a bit of your goo on here, Malik." Seto teased as he inspected his right forearm piece with a critical eye.

"Yeah yeah, keep 'em comin'. I've heard 'em all by now." Malik sighed, waving off the ribbing and just letting it pass over his head. He knew the prince was only teasing. "Your dragon armor only absorbs things that'll make it stronger. It doesn't get dirty easy. Probably a good thing in your case. There's bound to be some pretty bloody battles ahead, especially if you plan on facing the Shadow King."

"Really?" Seto asked, honestly intrigued now.

"Yeah, didn't you know? Dragon armor is special. It's magical, so it only 'accepts' things that will make it stronger, like dragon blood for example. Not that you'd ever kill a dragon–it's just an example–but their blood is extremely useful for a variety of things. Anything that's useless–like dirt or regular, non-magical blood–will just slide right off. The armor rejects it. I think the same goes for your sword, though I can't be sure because you don't have it back yet." the blob explained, and Seto looked at his reclaimed armor pieces in wonder.

"Wow. Guess I don't have to worry about keeping it clean, then." the hero joked, and the Malik-shaped blob shrugged and smiled in agreement. "I doubt the same applies to your belt and scabbard, though. Those are just made of leather, right?" the blob asked, and Seto nodded. "The belt is just one of my old belts that I didn't use much, and the scabbard is made of old, broken belts that I re-formed and shaped with my magic. All things considered I did a pretty decent job with it, since I was just going on memory of what a scabbard should look like."

"That means it doesn't carry any of your power within it." Mana interjected suddenly, making the young man and blob jump, startled. "If you made it in the human world, it will have none of your dragon-strength here. And the same goes for your locket, my prince."

Seto smiled sadly when he thought of the final–and most important–piece of his armor. The locket molded in the shape of a Duel Monsters card that contained a picture of the most important person in his life. The person he loved with all his heart: his little brother Mokuba. The locket's twin hung around the young boy's neck, and like Seto, the boy almost _never_ removed it.

_Mokuba, _the young CEO thought._ Please be all right. I'm coming._

* * *

><p><span>End of chapter 13<span>

Next chapter teaser: The Temple of Ice

Oh Ra. How will you guys _ever_ forgive me for this alarmingly long hiatus? I won't blame Life for getting in the way, it was a total lack of inspiration and story content to actually put in this chapter. Writer's Block, y u so mean to poor authors like me? *sad whimper* What did I ever do to you?

All right, enough complaining from me. On to the chapter content!

I know the youngest Ishtar's name is Malik–at least his good side–but Keith got their names confused. I don't really blame him either. They _are_ very similar.

Up until VERY VERY recently the Guardian of the Golden Pyramid was going to be Shimon, and his Ka would be Exxod: Master of the Guard. (I couldn't use Exodia for obvious reasons) But then I realized that Exxod was far too powerful for Kaiba to have in his deck, as he's about as strong as Obelisk the Tormentor. Not to mention he's HUGE.

The other reason I changed Guardians is that Shimon doesn't strike me as that interesting of a character. I mean, the show just treats him like an ordinary old man that happens to be Sugoroku/Solomon Mutou's incarnation. So at pretty much the last minute, I changed both Guardian and Ka to a far younger, more interesting character, the one and only Malik Ishtar. You're welcome, fangirls. XD

I also got some laughs out of this change, because I made Malik's Ka 'Revival Jam'. He couldn't use Ra because one, he didn't have him anymore–having given the card to Atem in Battle City–and two because Ra's too powerful for Seto to have in his gathering of Guardians. Not to mention he's freakin' ENORMOUS.

Another reason I changed the Guardian was because I couldn't think of a reason why Bandit Keith would be interested in enslaving Shimon, whereas Malik would be a more 'fitting' guardian for a pharaoh's tomb. (Irony. Oi.) He also relished the chance to exact his revenge on Malik for brainwashing him with the Millennium Rod, and he got his chance. Poor kid. XD

In case it wasn't clear in the chapter, Malik and his family are now living in the Egyptian city of Luxor, just a short distance away from the famous Valley of the Kings. His brother and sister are probably worried sick now, since he disappeared in the same manner that all the others did. I'm such an evil author to my borrowed characters, aren't I? ^-^'

On that note, something worse than unconsciousness has gripped the youngest Ishtar after that attack from the Orichalcos Gigas, but like the evil author I am, I won't be telling you what it is! Not in this next chapter, anyway. You'll just have to guess, and maybe I'll tell you if you got it right if you review! MWAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA!

Malik: So I'm actually a descendant of Dark Magician Girl? Sweet!

Me: No, you're _Mana's_ descendant. Dark Magician Girl is her Ka.

Malik: *shrugs* Same thing.

Oh, yeah, Kaiba's probably going to come back to the Dominion eventually after this whole 'Empire of Shadows' mess is over and take on Shadi's Capsule Monsters challenge. He did sound interested when Tristan mentioned it in 'Brothers in Time'. And maybe he'll bring Mokie along too. His best game is Capsule Monsters chess, after all. (According to the manga and Season 0, anyway.)

Seto: Hey! Only _I'm_ allowed to call him 'Mokie'!

Me: Whatever. *mutters to self* Big baby.

Seto: I heard that!

Me: EEP!

If you recall, Atem tore up all of Seeker's Exodia cards after their duel, as he had cheated. I'm not entirely sure if he did that in the dubbed version, but he did in the subbed, which is what I watch. I'd forgotten that until recently, and that's another reason why I switched Guardians.

And instead of showing you lovely readers the very _boring_ and anticlimactic battle that was Seeker vs. Seto, I decided to give you a little teaser of what's to come in the next chapter, sort of like a small amuse-bouche in a French restaurant. *le gasp* Could we _finally_ have discovered where the Millennium Rod disappeared to?! I think we did! Squee! I've been wanting to let _that_ cat out of the bag for a _LONG_ time!

On that note, I'm guessing it's pretty obvious now who the Guardian of Ice is. Yeah, not very subtle, am I? XD

I borrowed a little tidbit from Harry Potter regarding Kaiba's armor. Like the goblin-made Sword of Godric Gryffindor, Seto's armor only accepts that which makes it stronger. Just borrowing, Ms. Rowling, I own nothing! (Except copies of books 1-7. Awesome series!)

I know I said last chapter that we'd see what was going on with Moki– er, _Mokuba_, but _somebody_ had to go and shred my outline again. You _do_ know that's supremely annoying, right? *glares at my muse*

*Seto just smirks evilly at me* Yeah, I know.

Sigh. What am I going to do with him?

Wow. Long author's comment. Thankfully we're at the end.

See you next chapter, and make sure to bundle up! It's gonna be cold on that mountain of ice!

Tsunami Storm


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